MISSIONER OF EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2790, 7 June 1916, Page 7

MISSIONER OF EMPIRE

SIR H. RIDER HAGGARD SPEAKS PROBLEMS OF THE FUTURE BRITISH BLOOD FOR BRITISH EMPIRE Tiio chief guest at tho luncheon of the New Zealand Club yesterday was Sir K. Itider Haggard, tho well-known writer and agriculturist, who is now in New Zealand oil an Imperial mission connected with tho settlement of ex-oervice men un tho land in tho Oversea Dominions. . The dining-room of the Y.M.O.A. was well lillcci with members and others, The invited quests woro: Tiio Premier (Hon. W. F. Massey), tho Minister oi Agriculture (Hon. W. D. S. Macdonald), Mr. K. W. Dalton, H.JI. Trade Commissioner, and Sir lUdev Haggard'u secretary, itr. ctorbett.

i'ho chair was occupied by the president of tho New Zealand Club (Sir. C. E. Wheeler).

Sir Kidcr Haggard iccoivod a great ova, tiou on rising to speak. He said that ha had based most of liiß public actions during tho last dozen years on the axiom that tho land was tho root of all things. In theso days of high civilisation, all unconsciously, perhaps, people had eomo to believe that tho cities were the roots of all things. This was most of all true of Australasia. Tho population was not great, but nearly half of it dwelt not upon the laud but in great oities. Thin should not bo so. (Applause.) The land was their mother: cities could not exist without the land.. On the land was reared the healthy population on whioh the nation depended. He was told ho was doing wrong' in coming to the Overseas Dominions advocating land ■ settlement, that ho ought to encourago it in England first. As a, farmer of many years stand-, ing, lie could say it was dflliiiult to make fanning pay at Home. Things were better during the war. He had seen by tho papers that tils farmers of an important district of New Zealand hud been reading him a lecture, and saying ho should «ee that the waste places of England weru peopled. That was a favourite catch word—they were mostly ruled by catch words to-day. If anvbody knew, anything about the waste places of England it should be He had. spent two ytars going over England inspecting the land and agricultural conditions. This was at it time when agricultural depression was at its worst. He did not find those waste places; they did not exist. '•Much of tho land pi .England,might be better farmed; so, no doubt, could much of the laud iii New Zealand. (Laughter.) Tt would b? bad for a man to make a living on some of tho lands in Britain He turned his attention to the land ot the Empire, which was limitless. Millions could lind a home in Australia" undgCan .ada. He hesitate*) to spealc about New Zealand, for his kind friends said there was na ifoom Tor another soul in it. (Laughter.) '•

What' was his mission? Ho had ceon Bent ai honorary representative of the great society, the Koyal' Colonial Institute, to find out what openings there were'for ex-servico men and tneir families after the war. He thought there would be great ohanges after the wur-> when they had won it, which they were going to do. (Hear, hear, and checrs,) He .believed there was no doubt about that—news coming through day by day about the naval battle brought it home to them. (Hear, hear, and checrs.) Still, a/ter winning the war, there would .bo extraordinary chances. They could not take five millions of men from their normal occupations and send them to fight in tho trenches for a couple of years or so without altering their charactor and ideas. Many of those men who' had faced tho realities of life and death would not want to go back to ladle out sugar. ; They would wont something bigger, i There, was likely to bn a mental upheaval. Changes would bo inevitable. Women had . come to tho front in an unexampled manner. (Cheers.) That was quite a good thing, but would have awkward results fox Adam. Hundreds of thousands of women - were employed at Home, and were doing extremely well, and giving every satisluction to their employers. Did they imagine all those women would bo dispossessed at a moment's liotico? If so, the sex would have changed its character. The majority of them would iemain whorii they were. This would mean a decreaso in tho employment cl men. AY ages had risen to an abnormal level, and could not remain where they were. A reduction in wages would lead to dissatisfaction. AU these things suggested that there would be a considerable outflow of menlrom Britain after the war. 'l'hay might fairly argue thai they were face to iaco with a state ot affairs in which many people in the Old Country would seek new homes in the Overseas Dominions. Neither he ■ nor the society he represented were anxious to. force people out of the Old Country. If they could stop there and make u good living he hoped and prayed they would do so. liut if not, he hoped and prayed they would go where their awn nag flew. (Great applause.)

Referring to the war, Sir Rider Hag> gard asked what it meant. It meant that their old conventions, their old illusions, were shattered. Civilisation liail broken down; Christianity had shown it had little hold over great parts of the earth; treaties wero merely waste paper Attila again, walked the earth. Had there been wiy devilish woric in the world worso than tliat done during ;hapresent war? 'l'hey were faced with u horrible, revelation. No bonds of i'aith or culture could hold Powers forcing their way, towards Empire. It meant that after tlio war and the lessons it had taught the great congerie of States called the Empire must .be prepared to live under the shadow of the sword. The past might again materialise in tho future. The Empire must be the strony man armed. To-day the Empire had many Allies, hut the time might conic when, she would hnvo to light alone, and she must bo prepared ' for it. Britoiw had inherited from their fathers, and would pass down to their sons, tho faith that . they never would be conqnored. (Cheers.) After all, they were not a numerous people. They were trying to hold a quarter of tho globe with 60 million white people. The .Empiro must bo strong and ready with ship for ship and man for man. No longer could they expect indolenco and peace. Could they expect that Germany would accept defeat in a .Christian spirit? In 20 years tho Germans slain- in battlo would bo replaced, and every mother's sou would bo imbued, with tho spirit of revenge. (Cheers.) How could tlioy bo'strong without population? 'Die white population of tbo Empiro was not increasing as it iiliould. There would bo a certain movement of population after the war, and ho suggested, that Now Zealand should got some of tho overflow, from the British Is. lands if it could. (Cheers.) Referring to his mission Sir Ilidor Haggard said 110 had succeeded very well. In Africa ho had received great gilts on behalf of tho society he represented. In Australia ho had been told lis could do thero was not a State but had opened its hearts and doors to him. What they said they would do they meant to do. 'They were already communicating with the Imperial Government on tho subject. Ho had come to New Zealand ancl had received their very warmest sympathy. (Laughter.) He read from a document stating that any assistance which the Government could give would bo rendertd freely and willingly, and as a duty'to tho Empire and Now Zealand. After making provision for their own men the Government would be very glad to givo favourable consideration to ally soldiers of tho British Empire who desired to- settlo in tho Dominion.. Tho real weight and value of such promises depended on their interpretation, and ho thought in this caso that meant a great deal. (Cheers.) Tho Prime Jlinistor, who was cordially received, said ho had listened with very great pleasure to the speech of.tho great Imperialist. He assured them that tho Government of New Zealand was in thorough sympathy with* tho mission of Sir Rider Haggard, which was to.make cer. tain the immigration from Britain would uot bo a loss to tho Empire. Ho announced tho news of tho loss of the Ger. Juan battleahip Hindonburg—(loud ajK