CANADA AND THE EMPIRE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18682, 4 May 1926, Page 11

CANADA AND THE EMPIRE.

TO THE EDITGB OT "THE PRESS." Sir, —When we listened recently to the University debaters on "Disruptive Influences in the Empire," few of us, I suppose, realised that we were so near | such a threatened disaster as is foreshadowed in the cables from Home ■ within the last few days. We understood there were disruptive influences, sucii as Bolshevism, at work to break up the Empire, for the C'omronnis'ts have openly avowed that to be one of their first principles, and that Canada might, at some remote period,, even decide to cut tho painter; this had been recognised as a possibility of nationhood for many years, but the way she rallied to tho call of the Motherland at the time of the war, and the unifying influence of the common suffering and sacrifice lulled us into a hope that such a possibility had no pre-sent-day significance. But we forgot, or treated too lightly, Canada's very cosmopolitan population, and its stroug French extraction, and we accepted recent assurances by public men that French sentiment for Britain in Canada is even stronger than that of British descendants.

But anyone travelling through Canada as far hack as 16 or 17 years ago could not fail to be struck by how remarkably un-English were his surroundings, what.exceedingly meagre information the local Press ntforded about the Old Country, its politics, and everyday life, whereas the whole scene was distinctly Americanised, or, at any rate, anything but British, and it was only a short step to realise that a new nation was rapidly developing. This created no serious anxiety so long as it did not develop into au independent nationhood outside the Empire, hut the aspirations and intrigues now reported in our recent cables to he so strongly manifested of late can no longer be regarded with equanimity. New Zealanders, proud of our British birth or immediate descent, and, thank God, free from any appreciable admixture of foreign blood, tho most .recent offshoot of the parent tree, are so devotedly patriotic and loyal to the old Motherland that they can hardly realise any influences that would lead 'to our secession such as is now threatened in the Canadian breakaway; similarly Australia (through its development from the parent stock being somewhat more remote, the sentimental connexion may not be quite so strong) is also, if only in order to maintain the purity of its race, determined to remain under the old flag. Yet there are even amongst us those disruptive influences, Bolshevism, etc., the efforts for protection of local industry against the competition of our own kinsmen in Britain, arid others which I need not refer to here, but which must be apparent to all thoughtful persons; all striving after that national independence which may ultimately lead to a desire for distinct nationhood unless it is closely watched. It was just to combat and counteract such insidious disruptive influences and tendencies, and to keep ever before us our duty and what we owe to Britain, that the "Imperial Mission" was founded about a year ago by a few enthusiasts, and the recent Empire development and danger would seem to be the strongest justication for its continuance, strengthening, and extension. —Yours, etc., EDWD. G. LEYINGE. May 3rd, 1926.