The Press. THURSDAY, MARCH 5. 1914 Union and Strength.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14908, 5 March 1914, Page 6

The Press. THURSDAY, MARCH 5. 1914 Union and Strength.

By what ire cannot but regard as a fortunate coincidence, it so happens that just when the visit of so great an Imperialist as Earl Grey has stimulated the interest which New Zealandei- as a class manifest in Imperial affairs, a valuablo contribution to the study of tho problem of Empire has reached us, m the shape of a volume of essays by Mr L. S. Amery, M.P., entitled "Union "and Strength." Mr Amery, who is best known to our readers as the editor of the "History of the South African " War," published by "The Times," and who recently paid an all too brief visit to this Dominion, is a clear thinker, a vigorous .-Titer, and among _ne younger public men of the day there is none wifh a wider, saner outlook on Imperial affaire. The idea underlying the Collection of addresses and essays under aotice is the urgent necessity of attaining to somo real and enduring constitutional union for tho British Empire, of paving tho way towards .hat union by the development of mutual trade, and of defending the existence of" that Empire from destruction by external force during tho period of transition. How much the Empire, on a superficial view, •©ems at present lacking in nearly all fne dements of unity was recently shown in a very striking fashion by Mr Sidney Low, Rhodes Lecturer on Imperial and Colonial History, King's College. There is, as ho pointed out, no community of race, of language, of religion, of social habits, of tradition, of sentiment, of institutions. There is no

common coinage, no common rule upon matters so important as marriage, bankruptcy, commercial contracts, shipping, land ownership, immigration. There is actually at tho present moment no common naturalisation law, although the Postmaster-General recently announced that a Bill will bo introduced this session which will embody the principle of uniform naturalisation, so that a man who i s a citizen in any one portion of the British Empire will also bo a citizen of every other portion. There is as yet no common sy_>tem of Empire defence., although long strides havo been mado towards it. We have no common symbol even, i:o one banner like the "Tricolor" or the "Stars and Stripes," which any Britisher can hoist by sea or land, anywhere and at any time.

Much, therefore, remains to be done ...lore the ideal of Imperial unity can

be. attained. Fortunately there aro iw< great binding influences, which so far havo sufficed to resist the strain and stress to which they are from time to time subjected. In the first place, r.H Mr I/ow pointed out, there is tho supremacy of the Crown, which remains unimpaired, while the legislative authority of the King in Parliament, although technically supreme, has been largely diminished in fact in its application to Greater Britain. In the second plare, there is the "crimson •' thread of kinship." a common prido m tho history and traditions of tho Mother Land, still the most potent .nnd abiding influence at work in keeping the Empire together.

Steadily, however, the feeling is gaining ground that with tho growth of tho oversea Dominions and the increasing competition of envious and possibly unfriendly rivals, there must br; a remodelling of the Constitution, and. something must bo done to bring alout a greater cohesion among tho constituent portions of the Empire. M • Amery appreciates tho difficulties in the way of constituting a permanent Parliament of the Empire. Ho suggests that, for tho present at any rate, wo should be content with strengthening the Imperial Conference, by the simpl.i provision that the Prime Ministers attending should each bo accompanied by a deputation or delegation of members of Parliament, chosen by either or both' Houses of tho Dominion Parliament, on R.WI. proportionate principle which would admit of the equitable representation of all political parties. Ho dwells on the importance of extending the good work already begun towards unifying and improving the arrangements for Imperial defence. Needless to say, he is a strong supporter of universal service. But one of the most practical suggestions which he brings forward, and defends with great force and ability, is the proposal that oversea Britons should bo admitted on moro equal terms to tho Imperial services, so that they may take a more active part in tho administration of the Empire. Something has beon done in this direction. Provision has been made, for example, by which New Zealanders can enter thc Army and Navy. The Foreign Office is to all intents and purposes closed to them. If a New Zealander can find the means to go Homo and pass the necessary examniations he may secure a position in tho English or Indian Civil Service. Somo of them have done this, and, equipped only with the education acquired in the Dominion schools and colleges, have, with a few months' special coaching, taken the highest positions in the competitive examinations. In one case, it will be remembered, a New Zealand graduate, sitting for the Indian Civil Service, after six months' coaching in England, not only topped the list, but was a thousand hiarks ahead of the next competitor. That gentleman has made good in actual administrative work the promise then shown, and was included in tho last New Year's Honours list. But, as Mr Amery shows, the risks, expense, and difficulty in the way of going Home to pass these examinations mako such a course impossible except in very rare instances. He therefore makes the very practical suggestion that a certain number of places should be reserved in the English, Indian, and Colonial Civil Services, and even the Diplomatic Service, for residents in - Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. They should be appointed after examination in their own country, with any other tests as to moral character, etc., that at might be desirable to impose. The advantages of such a system are manifest. It is not too much to hope, we believe, that the Services themselves would be benefited by this infusion of fresh young blood from tho outer marches of the Empire. That it would serve to bring about a closer j union of sentiment and interest goes without saying. It would certainly j tend to spread a wider knowledge of the problems of Empire, and conseI quently a greater disposition to bear the burdens which the solution of those problems will entail. We venture to suggest that if Lord Grey can use his great influence to bring about this one reform, he will do a great deal to advance the cause which he has so much at heart.