MR ASQUITH'S SPEECH.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14052, 25 May 1911, Page 9

MR ASQUITH'S SPEECH.

(Received May 24th, 9.20 p.m.) LONDON, May 24

~ ''Mr. Asquith, during the courso of his speech, said that by a happy coin- ' cidenco tho timo chosen for the Confer- - ence would enable the statesmen of the self-governing Dominions to take a personal part in the Coronation. The Empire was mado up of countries not

geographically conterminous, or even

contiguoua. It did not even draw its , unifying, cohesive force solely from identity of race or language. They had in the Conference a political organisation, which, by its mere existence, ruled out

all possibility of war between popula-

'■tious numbering something like \' third of tho human race. Thero were

- j.two things in the self-governing British ..-"■ Empire which wore unique 'in the his-

Tory of great political aggregations, the

- first was the reign of law, and tho -''second .the combination of local ante- ,, ," nomy, absolutely unfetted, with loyalty to' a common head. In the early Vie- & "■ tbrian era there were two rough and ready solutions of the colonial problem,

. on was centralisation, or government „ from Downing street, and the other dis- • ; integration,- by which each community

as it grew to manhood would, without * (jmbitterment start an independent , existence. After seventy years of .__« '..perial 'evolution neither theories com--1 -,• mnnded "tho faintest support in any vrpart of tho Empire. Now, each com- .'!.'_ munity .intended to remain- master 1 .of '.' I- its own household, remain a separ- -'."* ate _nit. , ''but a milt.' .. ir'mx-iMr' Asqnith added that there were j/.^proposals .on the .for' ar- I ":' s tiving a,ttfiome'.closer political union in ' 'tih_.ifhapo of an Advisory Council. - 3j^K^» Q * offering any opinion, he ven.i''/tared to' Observe that they must not • . &sej.*!ght of the value of elasticity and in Imperial organisation. He : that the-Imperial Government •" vol_d.be able to offer acceptable sug'■*i geations with regard to the constitution . the .Colonial 'Office and segregatdor . ,;-««nd concentration of .work appropriate ,*?_„'the Dominions from the other'work , tiie Department He referred to the •M«--i-£ar-__aching.results of the last Defence '" and to the inauguration of j :__ the Canadian and Australian fleets as' further impetus to tho spirit | '~" of self-reliance. It was highly desir-1

able that they should take stocl. to- ' -'•-*' gather of the possible risks and dangers __j ,to which they were exposed In common, - n- ind'Veigh carefully and adequately the adaptiveness of contributions „,.*..being made to provide against- them. *' He b_lie*jpd that there was- throughout . the -Conference one spirit and one pur- ■-\ l- pose, viz., to make the-Empire and all its parts a more complete and effective infltrument in the furtherance of liberty. '