ONE FLAG OR MANY?

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 677, 30 November 1909, Page 10

ONE FLAG OR MANY?

~ A QUESTION OF ATTITUDE. / .-• ' i Ml!. WILL CROOKS STATES HIS. . . ,' Members of the New Zealand Club mustered iu force "at tho Y.M.C.A. Ebms yesterday, when Mr.' Will Crooks, M.P., was entertained at lunch. Tho chair was ocupied by Mr. M. Myers. : . Mr. Crooks, who was received with-prolonged applause, stated that ho took it that, tho NewZealand Chib was very much like tho Canadian Club, the , fundamental principle of which was the promotion, of loyalty to the Old Country, hi too many cases in, this world it was found that, when n man did'not agree with yo\u you must call him a destructionist—one who was out for the..destruction of tho Empire. This hnd been thrown at him frequently.. Regarding himself, ho might state that his trip to Australia was being made- for health and family reasons, but there wns something else (hat brought him away from England, and that was that lie wanted to learn something.about "the. Dominions beyond the seas." The phraso was one of the great platitudes of tho platform in the Old Country, but ho wished to find out something first hand. He remembered that once 'when 'taking his little daughter through Westminster Abbey, the little mite, overcome by the vastnoss of the building, turned to him ami said: "You are a big man in our kitchen, father, bnt you ain't much here." \ This'feeling,'said Hr. Crooks, came over him more and more as he travelled. That was, ispeaking generally. And, speaking particularly, one thing that had touched him all the way had been the fact that there was the Ramo chord of sympathy running through the British race. ■.'..'"" ■ Must it be Preference? He had found it to be the greatest lie of all to Say that if Great'Britian did not initiate some form of preference, she. was in danger of losing the colonies, and that their loyalty would be strangled. Ho did not believe that' the kinship of the people beyond the seas was a mere pounds;.shillings, l and'pence friendship, (Applause.) England had her own troubles and her own- domestic worries, and tho colonies had the same, but he did not hold that the colonies would think'of the Old Country in proportion to the post office orders sho sent them. Love and sympathy tied the race together and were not to be..measured by any coin of;the realm or by any coin that ever will be coined. (Applause.) The Old Country could keep its end up yet—and dukes.In time to come dukes might tako their pro-/ per position, whatever that might be. His own ,view was- that- the times were approaching when'a > man would bo considered for tho use he was in the community and not for any title he might, hold. The possibilities of New Zealand, Australia, and Canada with their vast tracts of land; which could relieve the '.crowded -towns . of.the'-' Old Country,■■ were beyond the thought: of men-who'lived today, 'but/he looked to'the day which would develop statesmen,-with- tho. capacity to deal with the question.; We. should- all bear up .and do our share of, the world's, work. Our common humanity, pur common brotherhood' would itself keep our Empire. Personally, he was sick of .hearing, of .what .'the worker could do»if ho 'used his.power, vThe workers had' , known their,,power m tho Old Country for 50 years, and they should also realise their responsibilities for the conditions under which they allow people to'-exist. He knew well that it was a- little sickening to some to talk of humanity all tho time and riot how-much tho •dividend was going'to be.. . . ''. ' '..;.-..-,

." More' Good Than Twenty Regiments." -: The:.speaker: went on to refer to bis work .amongst. the poor, children, and passed on to philanthropy in general. Concluding, he '..oxpressed .-'the opinion that suck''a club'.as the New.Zealand .cpnld effect,more ,for .the".sacred cause of the common good than 20 regiments. It could do this by- teaching the ideals and responsibilities ■ 'of >th'e- nation.. For himself hei would'not'liaye the British Empire, envied because of its-.navy, but envied' because• of. the happiness.and.contentment, of 'the whole people. (Applause.)-. ■■'■•■'.''. : ,'.■ •'■•.;•■; '.'.■; ' ■-.' . Mr. Jtycfs thanked Mr.'tCrooks'for, his-.ad-■dress and-expressed regret that they hid not been able to'hear'more of him','a senti'thent , which was .endorsed by' the'gathering, j)'' .

' Mr. .Crooks then proposed that-members should sing the National Anthem. . !' King Edward,; he said,,was..a..wprthy,,,spn of a' great andiliustrious' lnbtlier,'"and v hS' ought to. bo lookedMipon , .as the personal friend of overy. one of them.. Hβ favoured ;no-religion. and ; no. party,,and.was .the same.fathery'tb the Labour .man'.as ho was to. the Liberal''or 'Tpry. He...had'.fregue]itly. been' asked 1 whether:it-;was easy; to: get on rwitli. the King, arid: he ■'could only",reply: ■ .".Yes;; perfectly oasy.".' i:\King Edward's , endeavour was ever to make 1 ' the stranger-ashappy .and comfortable as-possible.