A FLOWER FOR THE EMPIRE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12850, 8 July 1907, Page 6

A FLOWER FOR THE EMPIRE.

Lord Moath could hardly have expected that hie suggestion that the daisy should be worn by all on Empire Day as an Imperial emWem, would pass without criticism. The daisy has come to be associated with meekness and humility, and that an. Empire won and maintained by the sword should adopt it as its flower must strike many as eomewhat of an anomaly. Wo shall not be surprised if some foreigners see in the proposal but another example of British hypocriey. Wβ know, of course, oa the authority of Mark Twain, that the success of the British in Empirebuilding is proof of the saying that the meek shall inherit the earth, but it is just as wrong to boast of one's meeknesß as of one's strength. We confess we should like to see a flower chosen more indicative of strength, but when the matter is considered, it Is difficult to see how Lord Sleath'e suggestion could be improved upon;. Its strongest point is the übiquity of the daisy. It belongs to the largest order in the plant world, it is found all over the globe, and it flowere all the year round, and it is within reach of the poor. Its insignificance is only apparent. Grant Allen said that it' represented a higheT type of plant life than, the pino or the oak. "If we take complexity and per- " feet ion in. the adaptation to its surroundings as our gauge of compara"tive evolution, then the daisy j " must rank in the very first "line of plant economy/ As a composite, it is well fitted to represent en Empire made up of many races. The daisy has, in fact, everything in its favour, except a general belief that the flower is an emblem of meekness and insignificance, and we fear that in spite of its advantages, this will stand in the way of its adoption. The public wants something obvious; the resemblance of the structure of the flower to that of the Enifpiro is rather too subtle. An oak-leaf would be the ideal emblem, typifying strength and solidity without arrogance, if it were as übiquitous as the daisy. It is woven into our national traditions and our national songs. The rose would also be suitable, but it will not grow in the tropics, and the eeaeone will not consider the Imperial movement. Perhaps some of our readers have a solution of the problem which is even better than Lord Meaths. If so, now is the timo to bring it forth.