TO-MORROW IN THE EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3199, 25 September 1917, Page 6

TO-MORROW IN THE EMPIRE

THE IMPERIAL FEDERATION SPEECH BY MR. F. M; Bi. FISHER Mr. T. M. B. Fisher, formerly Minister of Commerce, - Customs, and Marine in the Government of New Zealand, was the' principal speaker at a recent largo and representative public meeting which was held under the auspices of thefittolfast Branch of the British pire ■ Union, Lord Dunleath,. piesident of tho branch, in the chair. The speaker, who was received with applause, dealt,with some of the Imperial problems that had been confronting tho statesmen of the Empire during the past fifty years. The question of Imperial Federation, oi a union between the various parts of (ho Empire, was not a new thing. It "vent back in its origin very many years. There had beeu Prime Ministers and statesmen throughout the Empiro who believed that a echeme was possible'under which the various parts of the Empire might be so brought together that they could, be concentrated under the one roof; and exercise control through an Imperial Parliament or an Imperial Council. Hint was the ideal, but he believed it was impossible of attainment. The difficulties wer,o so* great that the recent Imperial Conference, in which every Prime Minister representing the dominions was animated by .1 spirit of loyalty to the Throno 'and patriotism to the Empire—the members of that conference were compelled to admit that high in its ideale as this proposal was, logical as it might seem m theory, it was in reality practically impossible. There might be others who came after them who would solve the problem, but he doubted whether in the immediate future a solution would be found. Let him tell them why. Jnrst of all, what was to be the organisation that was to control the Empire? Was it to be a parliament or a council, J\nd what were to be its powers? The idea of an Imperial Council was perfect in theory, but when they came to put it up against what he believed to be the national safeguards of the dominions, the I things which were to protect them against any nation which took uip an attitude ot aggression, fere they going to have thrust on th'em a policy framed by people who did not understand their problems, people who did not go out of their own country unless they went to India or other countries for big game sheohny or polo? They wanted men who understood their national problems, who realised their aspirations, and appreciated their possibilities. They asked them to "<i out to the dominions and seo the possibilities for trade development and the capacity they- had for carrying great populations. When English statesmen had that grasp, and knowledge of tho possibilities of colonial expansion then let them talk about putting on 'them, a system which was going to govern the whole Empire. (Applause.) But until then, and until they had learned .to govern England, ».tho ideal was unattainable. They were not going to develop the Empire by imposing' on the dominions shackles which were irritable to them. They did 'not want manacles which would restrain them. This war had proved,conclnsively that without any manacles, without any shackles, but just with sympathy, which was the call of the blood, which was the knowledge that they came from the British dominions, and that tho people in the Home country looked upon them as their children, the people of the dominions were prepared to do their duty to the -Empire. (Applause.) Could they think of any decent, self-respecting lather saying to his boy: "My son, I have,.passed'through a great crisis; you might reasonably have deserted me, but you did not. .You gave me all your money, aiitt vou 'gave me everything that a parent "could ask his son for. I have had so much loyalty from/you that 1 am now goiug to pen you up "in the house, so that I can't lose you." The dominions wanied, their freedom, and if any proposal v;as goin" to be made to bring them closer to -the Home country it was not in the direction of restriction, but in the direction of greater freedom that they must move. (Vpplause.) The dominions wanted the trade of the Home country, and they wanted tho Home country to take theirs. They had a, great Empire, and they had a nationality which they would «ot.--ex-change fw any other. (Applause)' Ihey had an Empiro which produced almost everything which could be imagined in the way of food- supplies and the necessaries of agriculture and industry. And what had they done in the past? They had turned 'a deaf ear to the appeals of the dominions. They had k;lt them crying, like the pelican in tho wilderness, asking'for a response aud r.ot gettiiig it. Tneir politicians had done everything they could lo stamp out—tinconscioiwly, he hoped—the loyalty that was-'in the -breast of the colonial, but they could not stamp it out, because the colonials were determined that in the long run. they were going to get closer to the Mother Country in spite of tho stupidity of tho Imperial statesmen. (Applause.)Continuing, Mr. I'isher referred to the presence of enemy aliens in the United Kingdom, and said they should get riu. of tnem while they had tho opportunity. The thing to dread in the Home country was the apathy of the people, lie feared that apathy more than he feared the whole German Empire. Germanisji was dead in the dominions, but in other places it was still rainipant. It was just as much alive in England now as ever it was. It was subscribed to by many ot their public men. Their political parties had drawn on it in the past, and it me people were not watchful they would find that the insidious methods ot the loreignor would again take possession ot their country after the war. They wanted unity between the Mother tountvy and the dominions on trade matters, it was a crime to take this/ •country into the war unprepared, and it would _ be an even greater and more colossal crime to take it into peace unprepared, llicy should now be organising for peace, llio sneaker, in conclusion, said: 'bet together, pull together, watch your public men, think of your future, and ot -our business. Keep on thinking all the time, and for heaven's sake don t get stock. WeW)i president of the Linen Merchants' Association ot Beif*>t, moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. I'isher for his inspinag address. lie said there was not the slightest dou >t that the country had been getting sad y behind during the past ht y or B ixt> years, and this- he attributed largely to the teachings of >hat was known as the Manchester School of Thought, lhej m tho linen.trade had been as l>acU-iid as anyone else, but they wore be?- g to got a little sense. (Laughter. Dunnt tl.i? nast few vcars there had been A wldal movement in Ihe trade trenches and wa ; t for whatever came along He thanked Mr. Fisher for 1;.. statesmanlike address, and assured hm that it had fallen on very sympathet.c Ca Sb WilliamwVitla, 1 in seconding, .aid Mr Fishhad delivered a most instructive, Mihilarutine. and inspiring addre*. t fe,f i^^/^ I dere' , to rSiW, they woke up to the &&&£&£?% [he alleviation of suffering they had been * the mercy of the Hu.n. A sun. « jU wanted within the limjU of our own m-nii-n He hoped and believed thai ariir i^-SX^fof I]^1]^ Ca The moUonwai passed by acclamation.