"EMPIRE SENSE."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18914, 1 February 1927, Page 10

"EMPIRE SENSE."

| MR STANLEY BRUCE'S ! IMPRESSIONS. I COMMITICATIONS FFOBLEMS. [THE TRESS SpsctM B<>rrlc« ] AUCKLAND, January 31. There is unmistakable evidence of greater knowledge of the Empire and all it means among the people of England than was the ,'n?" when I was in England threo years ago," said Mr S. M. Bruce, Prime Ministar of Australia, when he arrived by the Niagara from Vancouver ou his way to Sydney. Mr Bruce, who was a prominent figure at 'he recent Imperial Conference, said there was evejv indication of a bigger i;mpirn sense among the people of the Home Country, and a wider realisation of what the Empire meant, to Great Britain than was apparent at tho timo of the last Conference. Mr Bruco saw in this greater possibilities for the future in" the direction of closer unity and co-operation between the peoples of the various parts of the Empire, and said that the question o? communications was one that had an important bearing on the problem. In the first pi' ■: if was necessary to bring the outlying sections of the Empire closer together by cutting down the times taken in journeying over the longer sen routes. Ho said it was recognised at the Conference that'it was necessary to shorten tbn time taken ou these voyages, especially from Great Britain to Australia and New Zealand. Several schemes l*id been examined, but this matter was now being further considered. Air Sorvlcos? The establishment of air routes to give rapid communicntion between these southern countries and England was another point touched on by Mr Bruce, lie was particularly interested in the proposal to inaugurate an airship service, and said that tho building of two huge airships in England was the beginning of an Empire service that had immense possibilities. He expressed the opinion that within the next ten years tho lighter than air craft would be successfully operating over vast areas, but he was not so suro that iu tha ships now under construction they had vet reached that point. Ho was, however, hopeful that a scheme would be so developed that it would bo possible to make the journey by air from England to Australia in from 10 to 11 days. Mr Bruce mentioned that the Air Ministry was sending experts to Canada and South Africa to investigate and report on the erection of mooring mastß ns stations for Empiro airships, and Australia, while not undertaking to erect such a irtast at an estimated cost of about £70,000, had agreed that these experts should also visit Australia to inspect the possible sites for an nirsliip base, and advise the Commonwealth Government. Over so as Trado. Mr Bruce also said that he found that Britain's position.in regard to overseas trade was very much better than on Mb previous visit. This was due mainly to a realisation on tho part of thoso controlling industry that they really had to do something if England was going to maintain her position. Thero had formerly been a feeling that conditions would right themselves, but tho fallacy of this view had now boon recognised, and with greater attention to the needs and problems of tho wider markets there was every prospect for a brighter future for England's export trade. One of tho most significant indications of the greater effort now being made was the recent combino of sovoral large etipmie.il concerns, with a capital of about £0,000,000. That was surely a sign that they recognised the need for doing something to hold their own 'against outside competition.