IMPERIAL FEDERATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 79, 27 December 1907, Page 8

IMPERIAL FEDERATION.

! ;I;^R.:HEAKIN.ON; AGREEMENTS. .... 1 The Federal 'Prune Minister, • Mr., Deakin, speaking at a meeting of the Imperial Fedein Melbourne'last.week,/said, in part:—.? '"';.. i: ,-■ -.-' / ; "•■■" ' -' .: I:" , "Wo are not without hope that in con;'ferences;,such ■a.s.'X 6 / lately had, in Lon.don 'we liave somethifag which niray-be called' a .rudimentary form of Federation. . Wo look forward to the.material that which . has' "produced,; these. conferences to. carry the ' .'work"--muchv(hir;therV;;i n d enable us to act ' itf v a/greater> variety, of 'interests. But it has 'to be brpughli.about by/the' process, the slow. process/'6fpublic i: education. 'As wo broaden buf.outlook-in'the;s6uthj we &fe continually . be'rig ;,brppght face : ':to.;'faco/with. a betteri.unde.rptinaing,, aricl', tl>e_'_iJossil)llity:: of better - i-worfeing-'arrangenients.'-with.,;them and the /Mbtlior^CountryS-This't is', so:, as regards coni- . mercial affairs and defence. "■* At present we havo an agreemorit for seteral years to run l in regard to ,the riayy. Although these ships are authorised to bo employed, if necessary, in the India and China seas, that agreeirient is,, a stop; towards federation. There is no finality, sought in any of thceo agroompnts. None-are-indefinitely binding. .They are for fixed terms. We try the'experiment, if it ■' succeeds ; we j can enlarge; if, it succeeds in port we can get rid of the, obstacles, and enlarge l the , rest. ~ .'•■.- . "We loso nothing by these experiments. Even their partial failure is a valuable '■ lesson.i ,. We'have to feel our,way, and tho disposition = that --it is necessary to foster is the' disposition to try , our experiments; to cut""nbVv p'atlis; 'to'"test; now. opportunities in order -to" - see how much raoro we can act together. All 1 these onward movements spring from ono main source—that is, from the sense .of unity in .-British peoplo as a wliolo, : their their, sense" of having sprung from/a cqmmon stock, their sonso'of a common?destiny; their realisation that among 1 all British' peoples there is a growth of fooling.whiohris the best guarantee For future unity of; action.- , (Cheers.) , " You cannot rpalisp till you aro on the spot tho depth and sincerity of tho affection . 'nnterUiried towards Australia and all tho i dominions by every class and calling among ■ tho British people. (Cheers.) They aro only. . too. eager to, show you, by tho tenacity of ■.their".'kindness "that blood is thicker than 1 water. Whatever- political parties may say r or do the lieart of Great Britain is entirely 1 sou-rid".' ,: AV far 'as wp are concerned, wo ; ought, at least, to reciprocate, "if we cannot : ; 'outdo;--.the "extreme , friendliness with which '. everything' Australian is regarded in Great ,' Britain."' (Cheors.) "; '.'■ 'Professor Harrison Mooro romarked on the . growing claim of the self-governing possesi sions to determine to a large extent what ; should be their relations with tho outside I world, and urged that while Australia and i Canada had: no-aotivo concern'in external 1 affairs, it would be difficult lt> make them J understand what'might ho the'eonsequences of some particular lino of policy undertaken. "> In that lay- an element of danger.