NEWS OF THE EMPIRE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17392, 1 March 1922, Page 10

NEWS OF THE EMPIRE.

BECIPEOOAI. SPIRIT OF THE PRESS. (FROU OtS OWtt COH^ESrOXBKTT.) LONDON, January 12. 'The Trail of the Maplo Leaf—the <ilm the story of the 1920 visit to Canada of the Imperial Press Coherence—has just been viewed by the Federation of Wholesale- Newsacents and the Federation of Retail Newsagents- The display was prefaced hv a brief address by Viscount Bumiiam who emphasised the important Zlxm" unon the causa of good under, standing between the various peoples o* the British Commonwealth of some of the results of the visit. * Lord Burnham told the guests that mi the occasion of the Empire Press Conference nt Ottawa in 1920, delegaK oi the whole of the.Press of the Empire made a tour ot Canada which had been seldom equalled and never excelled They had withstood with endurance and not without success, the full bln<t of Canadian hospitality—and thoso who were proof against that were nroof against the entertainment of the world. (Laughter and che«rs.) He need not say that, belonging to the Empire Press Union, they were not "Utrht half-bcl Overs in a casual creed oflmpirc" They had the fullest faith in the power and the promise that the British Empire hod before it. Ho believed that the, people of Canada had not less-for tho common benefit and common protection it offered to all the JaX of ?hat far-flung Commonwealth tike Cecil Rhodes, the people ot Canada were people ot oi» of the greatness and glory of the Canadian- Dominion. • Touching upon the results of their mission as newsmen, Lord Burnham soid that it was common J™*™?** that before the last Imperial Press Conference the reciprocal supply or news and information between their two Dominions of the Crown had been poor and insufficient. Since then they had been able on this side largely to increase in amount and in vain© J» intelligence department of the news, papers in regard to the Dominion ot Canada. Nearly all our newspapers f*ave a great deal more of Canadian news an§ this enabled the British public better to understand the common life and policy of the great Dominion. While he did not say that they had attained the full standard at which they should aim, they had better reason to be satisfied with tho means that were now given this country,to appreciate Canada's marvellous growth and illimitable resources. It had also been his effort to secure that tho supply of British newa to Canada should not travel wholly through American channels. So long as it was the surplusage and byproduct of the American service it was inevitably of American colour, of American topics, and of American interest. What they wanted in its etead was a service of 'British colour and of British interest. He was glad to say that he had induced his friend and colleague, Sir Roderick Jones, managing director and chairman of Reuters, to inaugurate a news wvice. -while he was m the Dominion, which had largely remedied that defect. " (Cheers.) The service was still in its infancy, but already it 'had established itself, and at the last meeting of the Canadian Press oatisfaetion with the supplementary cable service that was nowlbeing carried out was Bspressetl. That meant that, since tho Bmpiro Press Conference b«d met, they had been able to supply what was so long- desired, not perhaps to the extent that it was destined to attain, but at least in part, for the general good and consolidation of Imperial interests. (Cheers.) It had been truly said, "We attach people to us by the spirit that is in us. and not by the machinery we employ." Nothing could he better than the reciprocal spirit of the British and Canadian newspapers. It was not only the spirit of the Press, hut the spirit of the -two peoples joined together in their ocean commonwealth. The film itself is extremely interesting, giving views of Halifax,. Quebec, and the marvellous- steel bridge. Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and the Far West t 0 Vancouver. Much of the photographing was done on the rear platform of the last coach, and by this means a good idea was conveyed of the beautiful scenery. After some instruc tive views of some Canadian industries, such as lumbering and paper, had been projected, a wonderful display of Niagara Falls was revealed. It is remarked that charm and educative interest have rarely boon allied sa closely in the art of the screen as by the film, "The Trail of the Maple Leaf."