STABILITY OF DEMOCRACY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18180, 17 September 1924, Page 14

STABILITY OF DEMOCRACY.

LESSON OF OUR GENERATION. MR AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN'S PLEA. (from oub own cobeespondeht.) LONDON, July 30. Mr Austen Chamberlain, M.P., was the guest of the Australian and New Zealand Luncheon Club. In replying to his toast, he said that the problem that must present itself always and constantly to the mind of the self-gov-erning Dominions was whether democracy could wield the power and discharge the responsibilities of Empire with the same patience and perseverance, with the same courage as the old autocracies or oligarchies did. We had in the British Empire our own peculiar problems. There was a problem whether democracy was capable of sufficient sacrifices to secure safety in the future. Bismarck throughout his career had, in regard to diplomatic possibilities and the value of international friendship, a profound distrust in the stability of democracy, and in its capacity to pursue over a period of years a consistent policy. He was ready to make a true alliance with any autocratic country, but he disbelieved entirely in the value of an agreement signed by a Parliamentary Government dependent upon a Parliamentary majority. . And that faith or prejudice, as they might choose to call it,'so firmly held by him, lasted after he had passed away, dominated the min3s of his successors, and, perhaps settled the fate of Europe in the generation in which we were now living. Was he right? After all, our great democracies honoured their pledged word, when autocracy had broken faith with the signed treaty. Our democracies through good and evil days stood steadfast to their faith, and the greater the difficulties, the deeper the depression of the moment, the more united they were to. fight on until better times came. The lesson of our generation was therefore one which encouraged faith in a democratic Government.

Empire Conferences. Speaking of the means whereby common action in times of crisis might be secured, Mr Chamberlain urged that they should keep alive Imperial problems, and expressed the hope that they would continue to press for closer commercial relations between the different parts of the Empire. We could not be indifferent to the fortunes of one another. Placed, as we were, side by side, tho fortunes of Europe must act and react upon the fortunes of all the nations overseas. British statesmen and publicists had made their suggestion, but the decisive voice rested with the Dominions. When they saw their way and were agreed, they would find us ready to adopt a scheme for common counsel and common action which would commend itself to them. (Hear, hear.) It was easy to overrate the difficulties of the present; it was easy to underrate the possibilities of the future., When he found himself in danger of being overwhelmed by the difficulties of the present, when he found himself discouraged by the fact that Empire unity and commercial policy had had a setback, and that Empire conferences had lost something of their binding force, and when ho was losing heart, he thought of the pioneers and the debt wo owed them, and the way in which they overcame and looked upon the discouragement of the moment. (Cheers.)