CLEAR UNDERSTANDING

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 59, 3 December 1926, Page 11

CLEAR UNDERSTANDING

ON INTER-IMPERIAL RELATIONS GIVEN BY REPORT TO CONFERENCE ADDRESS BY MR. BRUCE Mr. Bruce, in an address to the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce,' said the Imperial Conference had not attempted to reshape the Empire, but had produced a clean under, standing of the position. BT TELEGHAI’H.—P&ess association Copraium London, December 1. Addressing the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Bruce, referring to the report of the Inter-Imperial Relations Committee presented to the Imperial Conference, emphasised that it created nothing new. The Conference had not attempted to reshape the Empire, its only creation being to produce a clear understanding of the position. The report said nothing which was not true liefore it was written It had been said. Mr. Bruce continued, that the report stressed autonomy rather than unity, and paved the way for disintegration rather than co-oper-ation. This view was more apparent than real. Unity had always existed, and had been taken for granted; but autonomy had betji emphasised because it was there that changes had come, and a definition had become necessary. Australia was not going to be content with one-sided development, to be a food producer, and buy all her manufactures from Great Britain England had made the tragic mistake of onesidedness, with the result that the revival of agriculture was one of her greatest problems. They, were determined in Australia to build up at a.nv cost industries which were essential for defence in wartime; and secondly, other industries best suited .to their circumstances. In the meantime Australia offered great opportunities for British manufacturers.

NEW COMMONWEALTH OF BRITISH STATES

BIRTH ACCLAIMED

AMERICAN’S TRIBUTE TO

MR. BRUCE

New York, December 1. Colonel Harvey, former Ambassador to Great Britain, in an address acclaimed the birth of the new Commonwealth of British States as a momentous event of the century "in the forward inarch ,of our race.” , He paid an eloquent tribute to Mr. Bruce for his references to the United States during the Imperial Conference and bespoke for "this ruling democrat” when journeying homeward through the United States a "welcome not inferior to that recently accorded a nominal queen.”

MR. BRUCE AND MR. COATES IN BIRMINGHAM VISIT SCREW AND CARPET WORKS London. December 1. Still beset bv cold and foggv weather, Mr. Bruce anil Mr. Ctoates visited Birmingham. They went over Nettlefold’s screw works, where the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain made his fortune. Afterwards they went to Kidderminster and saw at Brinton’s factories carpets ordered for Canberra, some of them to designs submitted from Australia. To say the least the designs chosen or forwarded surprised everyone. They compared unfavourably with the more tasteful designs in stock. The party was shown samples designed by the Prince Consort, as well as patterns favoured in Australia from thirty to forty years ago. To modern eyes they were all equally ghastly. Later Mr. Bruce and Mr. Coates were entertained at luncheon,_ aud beciyme Kidderminster’s oulv living Freemen. Both were surprised to learn that the carpet industry was one of the few to suffer little from the post* war depression.

FREEDOM OF KIDDERMINSTER PREMIERS ON BRITAIN’S LABOUR TROUBLES (Rcc. December 2, 7.10 p.m.) London, December .1. Mr. Bruce and Mr. Coates visited, and were presented with the freedom of Kidderminster. Mr. Bruce, in a speech, referring to the British labour troubles, said that when he looked at some of the conditions existing he was not surprised al the extent extremism had reached. “We should all recognise our opportunity to bring about better conditions. It can be done, and will be done only if we try to realise the great objective before us, namely, an Empire for which we should all strive to do better.” Air. Coates, in replying to the address, said New Zealand would help Britain, not only in times of crisis, but to solve economic problems, “until the Empire becomes what we all want it to be, namely, the greatest and freest of all modern institutions.’ He would ask them: “Is your machinery as modern as it might be? With your wealth, machinery, and knowledge extending over many generations, are you getting adequate returns, or arc otliers getting ahead of you ? You must have an adequate selling organisation. My advice is to do all you can to see the markets taking your goods.”

FREEDOM OF EXETER TO MR, BRUCE London. December 1. The Exeter Council has decided to present the city’s freedom to Mr. Bruce on Monday, when he will cut the first sod of the new south-west University.