PRIDE OF EMPIRE

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17984, 30 January 1924, Page 9

PRIDE OF EMPIRE

FELT BY LABOUR. STRIKING SPEECH BY MR THOMAS. FINE TRIBUTE TO THE KING. t.31 CABLE —riJESS ASSOCIATION COPYP-IGaT-) (SS:D:?EY "SUX" SERVICE.) '.Received January 29th, 7.15 p.m.) LONDON, January 28. -Mr J. H. Ihonias (Secretary- of jjtate for the Colonies) in a speech following tin; Prince ot A\ ales at the Australia. Day luncheon, explained that he pcpepted office with pride, remembering that he had commenced life as an err rand boy at the age of ninp. He felt gratified that he was; a member of a nation whose Constitution enabled an engine-cipancr yesterday tq be a Minister to-day. That Constitution was broad, and democratic, and must be preserved; and tne Empire providing it must bp maintainedMr Thomas convulsed his audience with a stpry of his introduction to office. He asked the porter: "Is this the Colonial £)fE cei'!

Yes. "Whom do you wailt tp see ?

Mr Thomas: I waift to se.e the qfficp. Porter: "Well, this is it. Whom do you want to see ?

Mr Thomas: I want to see the office

Porter (impatiently): But whom ? Mr Thomas, thinking the time had come to reveal his idpntitVj said: I am the new Colonial Secretary. Tho porter looked him up and down, turned to a companion, winked, and remarked: Another shell-shocked patient.

Mr Thpn)as confessed that after five days in office he was prouder of the Empire than ever jjpfpre. Britain had passed through a revolution in which ink and not blood was spilt. There had been a great change without disturbance or upheavaJ. Trade, commerce and finance were' progressing as though nothing had happened.

There wore many who were apprehensive abput the change. The least apprehensive were the .Prince of Wales and his illustrious and distinguished fath-er, be,cause they were most wise; they kpew their people, recognising that patriotism, loyp of pippire, service and duty wpre.not the gifts nor the monopoly of one class or crepd. The King and Prince recognised that men' born in humble circumstances and without the advantages of a 'Varsity pducatipn or pf real learning, possessed a sense qf duty afld a patriotism unsurpassed by any other type. The Empire wtis defended in the dark days of war uy men pf tlie slum? as well as of the palace, both recognising tli.e coniinpn obligations. All,.sections could he trusty to cjo the right thing at any given moment. That wag iyhy, despite the great change in the Qld Country, the Olpl Empire would Still progress.

Ha paid a tribute to the Duke of Devonshire (late Secretary of State for the Colonies) who "did h's damnedest" to unseat him, nevertheless placed at his disppsal his great services and experience. \

to the anniversary, he hpppd that thejr successors 136 y.ears henee would be able to say tnat Labour did nothing as a pioneer to weaken the Empire whereof all were so proud.

The Duke of Devonshire said that if ha and his colleagues criticised the Government, it was only because they were anxious to arrive at the best pqs-' aible solution. T?iey prepared to use possible effort far the farther development and prosperity of the Empire. NOT MERE NEGATIVES. PLEA FOR EMIGRATION. ■ (ar sable —press association coprpisiriO ANC N.Z. CABLK ASSqCIATjoN.) (Received January 29th, 8.50 p.m.) LQIfDON, January 29. The "Daily Chronicle" editorially savs: "Mr Thomas, in his Australia Day speech, wisely went boyond mere negatives. He gave rm assurances of the active sympathy and interest with which tho Labour Government intends to discharge the Imperial sidy of its -syork.

"The circumstances of yesterdiiy's celebration carried an inevitable reminder that the assumption of oflico hy a Labour Party, though an experiment in England, passed far beyond the experipientfil stage in Australia long ago." The "Chronicle'' proceeds to urge thq need of greater emigration, and affirms that little help so far lias been forthcoming from Labour on cithpr side Qf the spa. If the Labour Government thinks the problem lias not been handled in a sufficiently human way, let it show a more human way. CITADELS OF EMPIRE. AUSTRALIA AND N.Z. (3T CA3LE —TfIKSS ASSOCIATION COPYEIGJTI.) STB ALIAS* AIID ST.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, January 28. Tho Prince of "Wales was the chief guest at an Anzac luncheon in connexion with the celebration or Australia Bay. In a speech he emphasised the responsibilities of the citizens of Australia and New Zealand, who stood in the bouthern ocean as free citadels of the British ideals of Empire. The Prince paid a tribute to Mr Massey's great' record of service for New Zealand and the Empire. . His Hpyal Highness added that he coulcl not t*::e too much of tho Empire, and he hoped this year to see the fulfilment of the task of seeing all tl?e Dominions for himself when he saileti lpr South Africa on May Ist. He was l°«kin£ for ward to this visit with much mtor«=i.