COMPLIMENT TO NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19971, 4 July 1930, Page 5

COMPLIMENT TO NEW ZEALAND.

HEXT CHAMBER OP COMMERCE CONGRESS. V. : *; ". 4 dominion selected, IfWM am vn eosxßßvoai>x»«) LONDON, May 30. A rare oomplimant wuh paid to New Zealand by the Congress of the Federation of the Chamber, of Commerce of the British Empire »» London to-day, and it arose m a way wki^_ WM lae w it *u illnminative. Hie question of the venue of the next conference, to be held three yeaw hence, fa W. Machin at once meeting the invitation of the Associated Chambers of Commerce to hold it in their county. Ho didßO in modest terms, as befitted the "m? o ?.* EL Woods, chairman of the Canadian delegation, at onco proposed stating that the large delegar {£nfr%n that country, trali*D chairman followed vitation from bw country, and then the West Indies, with a suggestion to hold tho conference in those delectable islands. South ported Australia, and with janous proposals before tho meeting the situation was becoming involved, of the delegates from the United Kingdom got no to make a strong appeal in support of New Zealand's invitation, stressing the fact that it was Aat Dominion's torn, every othet Dominion having had its turn. r ® chorus of approval from his quarter of the room. Obviously, if it came to • vote, the United Kingdom's influent® would decide the matter. Australian and Canadian delegates could how things were going, and when the most influential men of the conferencejthe Muter of Elibank, Lord Desborough, Earl Iveagh, Sir Arthur Shirley Btenn, etc.) also made their Pj^ f ?^ en m. the issue was never in doubt. The New Zealand delegates pat quietly, the meeting to do what it .desired without undue stressing or the dominion's right. .. , , . Then the Australian del^i t 1 ? tensing the atmosphere, withdrew their application. The Canadians hurriedly conferred, and also withdraw, leaving the field to Now Zealand. Here followed a demonstration m favour of the Dominion that must have been unique in the long history of the Guildhall. The delegates (especially those from England and Scotland) cheered and cheered, obviously anxious t« show their affection for the Britain of the South. There was no question of tip popularity of New Zealandit was most pronounced—indeed, it waa throughout the conference, for everything advanced by the smart New Zealand delegation was received, not only with sympathy, but with the greatest cordiality. Gnat Britain is not a European Power. Great Britain looks across the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the other oceans. With us the oceans unite and not divide, and when serious crises arise in the history of the Empire we stand as one. But unless economic onity is secured within the Empire there is a chance, even a danger, that this mightv Commonwealth of «ee peoples, this superb justification or Anglo-Saxon civilisation, may fall to pieces as other empires have done ana i oe written down in history as naught.