The Bruce Herald. TOKOMAIRIRO, DECEMBER 20, 1904

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 98, 20 December 1904, Page 4

The Bruce Herald. TOKOMAIRIRO, DECEMBER 20, 1904

The deputation that waited upon the British Premier last week asked that at any conference which might be held with the colonies, the question of increasing their contributions to naval defence should be considered. "Any conference which might be held," means, of course, the conference suggested by Mr Chamberlain to consider the question of preferential trade. Reading between the lines, it looks as if the Conservative Party was raising the burden of the Empire, for the purpose of throwing dust in the eyes of the British electors and shelving the unpopular question of preferential trade until a Colonial Conference is held. But, as Kipling would say, that is another story. The deputation made out a plausible case, from its point of view, regarding Imperial Defence. Its mem, bers pointed out that Great Britain with its population of 46 millions, paid £36,000,000 a year for naval defence, and the colonies, with a population of 10 millions, paid only ;& 300,000 — or words to that effect. But this is the real old John Bull way of looking at the matter, and as usua^ when he wants to squeeze the colonies' he talks loftily of the burden of Empire, under which he states he staggers, chiefly for the benefit of the "dominions beyond the seas." It is true that the colonies only pay about per annum for naval defence, but .the British Imperialists always .conveniently forget that not one penny piece is paid by the 250 millions of India to say nothing of the other 100 millions of the Empire who contribute not one copper to naval defence They also forget that John Bull has lent hundreds of millions of money to these colonies at high rates of interest, and that his navy is after all chiefly protecting John Bull's pocket — whereas it is alleged to be protecting the interest of the colonies. But John Bull, in dealing with ihe colonies, has always been an absentminded beggar — except where his own interest has been concerned, and it is therefore natural that he should forget these things. But we should remember them, and not forget that the Colonial Conference held in 1902, considered the question of contributions to naval defence, and as a result Australia doubled its contribution and so did New Zealand, and agreed, let it be noted, to allow the Australasian squadron to be taken away at any time outside Australasian waters, into China or Indian seas ; by s> doing this conference of colonial patriots abrogated the agreement, entered into in 1887, which confined the squadron to Australasian seas. So that New Zealand and Australia in case of war, will be left without the naval defence lor which they doubled their contributions ! Only one colonial statesman, at the 1902 conference — the Premier of Canada — refused to contribute to the upkeep of the British Navy, on the ground that his country intended to go in for a naval defence of its own. The increase of colonial contributions was agreed to in 1902, and hardly two years have passed and John Bull, ala Oliver Twist, is asking for more, although it was distinctly stipulated that the above agreement should last for ten years. But even John Bull might have had the conscience to have waited a little longer before talking of the burden of Empire under which he staggers, and asking for colonial assistance. During the last 20 years of this staggering burden the unfortunate John has doubled his capital, and probably that is the reason why he staggers ! During the last few years these colonies have at John's request, sacrificed many of their sons and thousands of pounds sterling in fighting in South Africa, so that the wealthy mining magnates could employ cheap Chow labor in the alleged British mines of the Transvaal. Yet in the face of all these things John Bull does not blush, but now coolly asks, as per deputation, for fair play from the colonies ! However, John Bull is wise in his generation, for has he not been told by sycophant colonial politicians that colonials are, more loyai to him than he is to himself, and his desire for another Colonial Conference, is of course prompted by the easy way in which he squeezed us two years ago. Not only did the conference, so far as New Zealand and Australia are concerned, double their contributions for a Naval Squadron — which will probably leave us defenceless in case of war, but New Zealand generously allowed itself to be squeezed out of for Queen Victoria's statue in London. Nor was this all, Mr Brodrick, supported by Mr Seddon, proposed that the colonial Premiers should agree to organising army corps of colonials, for the purpose of assisting to fight the battles of the Empire. Fortunately, however, this was even more than the representatives of Australia and Canada could swallow, and the Proposal lapsed. These things pass for colonial patriotism , in the twentieth century, but ten years afco they would have been called an uglier name. No one can blame John Bull for squeezing the colonies, so 1 long as colonials are so foolish < as to allow their leading poli- ', ticians to periodically go to Lon- , don, and sacrifice colonial money 1 and interests, for the benefit of the ] Empire — which is mostly John Bull, * with a glittering Jrngo halo over his head. t But alas ! unfortunately for the future i

of New Zealand, colonial patriotism may be defined nowadays, as a love for the land of pur fathers — at the expense of our fatherland. Of course this spurious patriotism cannot last, but while it does it must of a grim necessity lead to our sacrificing our national interests, and cause British statesmen to ! exploit the colonies, until the exactions I and tributes demanded will create national disaster to us, and grievous damage to the unity of the Empire.