A MESSAGE FROM OVERSEA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 972, 12 November 1910, Page 7

A MESSAGE FROM OVERSEA.

IMPERiALISATION OF THOUGHT. The "Standard of Empire" states'Wo should like to bo ablo to placo in thfe hands of all British men and women a copy of an open letter upon the "Jmpenalisation, of Thought," which has been addressed by Mr. Thomas lloydhou.se, of the ".Sunday Times/' Sydney, K.S.W.* as "A message from an Oversea Briton to Britons everywhere." We do not need the assurance that Mr. Koydhouso is a friend and reader of tlio Empire newspaper. Tho very headlines of his "Message" show it*. And this is how the text of the communication begins:—

When tho average resident .of one of the Oversea portions of the British Empire interrogated &s to their most pressing need, he might, after, a little thought, say "Defence." XJpon realising, however, that the greater covers the less, his reply might be •'Population." Either answer would, perhaps, be generally accepted as accurate, nevertheless,, it is truth to say that there is a greater need than either of these, inasmuch as it must be regarded as preliminary to the satisfaction of both. That need may bo phrased as "Imperialisation of Thought."

the writer holds 'that many successive years of peace and success in trado have given riso in too many "breasts to the comfortable but dangerous belief that it is only necessary to think nnd call ourselves all-powerful and tiie trick is done. Ho believes that only tho process he calls "linperialisation*' can save the Empiro from disaster when the plans of our rivals are ripe for execution.' He believes (not in tho establishment of "baby navies") in all-round Empire cooperation between the peoples of tho Mother Country and the Dominions Overseas, to make and keep tho Empiro Navy supreme, -to peoplo the Dominions up to safety point and further their development, and to build, up all-British trade within the Empiro to the point which will make us independent of our rivals.

What does patriotic Tjcefercnco mean? It means that each inumdual will ask himself, so far as his personal buying nnd selling are concerned: What is best for the Empire? It is undesirable that fear should compel patriotism, and it may bo questioned whether any feeling thus inspired could bo characterised as patriotism. However, if the individual were to bear in mind that when he purchases goods of thtf nation that contemplates tho ruin of his own ho is helping to sharpen the sword to cut his own throat, he might prefer to deal with his fellow-countryman in tho Old Land. But wo have in all parts of tho British Empire Britons using the goods of this nation and travelling in its ships, thereby providing it indirectly with tho funds to expand its naval policy, lmperialisation of thought might induce residents of the district portions of tho British Empire to come to determinations something lilco these:—(l) To uso their own goods; (2) if thero are some things they cannot produce, then uso the goons from other parts of the Empire; (3) if thero are some goods which the Empire does not produce, then 'use tho goods which are produced in countries friendly to the Empire; (1) but under no circumstances to. strengthen the enemy.

Among tho measures most calculated to bring about the heccssary mental. "lmperialisation" demanded for progress in theso directions, Mr. Itoydhouse attaches great importance to personal influence, lie wants lending men >vhom the public trust and esteem, in every State of the Empire, to travel freely through all tho other States, "speaking to their fellow citizens of the things that matter." Ho holds that it should bo incumbent upon every incmber of tho Imperial Parliament to tour through the principal Dominions, and that before long the oversea Parliaments would follow suit:—

Thero is no suggestion of either aggressiveness or iunk iu all this. It can. bo safely said that in no part of tho Empiro is thero any desire' to interfere with a neighbour. All that is sought is that wo may live in peace arid amity with tho world at large. Wo are threatened with trouble, however, and wo should prepare to meet-it as tho Britons of old did. Thero is no craven fear in proposing such preparation. It is but the rational precaution of sane men. Shall we take it? Or shall we prove unworthy of our forefathors and tho great work they did for us, and slide into national nothingness under the contemptuous criticisms of our more virilo contemporaries?

It is exhilarating to read such letters as that of Mr. Roydhouse. Wo have long known that in tho -cause of Empire pioneer work is very far from being confined to the outlying portions of the Empire, On the contrary, our best workers m England (possibly failing to make sufficient allowance ior tho strenuous prossure of material interests in young countries) have sometimes felt diseouraged by what they regarded as a want of co6peration and assistance from their ■brethren oversea, in whose interests, quite much as England's, they aro working. But such communications as that of Mr. Koydhousc, and that of Mr. Euston, combined with the work of the. oversea newspapers, aro admirably calculated to inspire our patriotic workers throughout tho Empire to fresh efforts in the good cause, the All-British cause, which this journal exists to serve.