SHAKESPEARE’S VISION

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 248, 17 July 1935, Page 6

SHAKESPEARE’S VISION

British Commonwealth of Nations FREE DEVELOPMENT Speaking at the Rotary Club’s luncheon yesterday on the Constitution of the British Commonwealth of Nations, Mr. H. F. von Haast, said he would begin with a quotation front Shakespeare which touched upon the subject of free communities organised for tile common good. "I come to talk of Coniniopwealth affairs,” said Shakespeare, visualising witli the foresight of tt seer the British Commonwealth of Nations united by a common allegiance to the King. "Wherever the light of sun shall shine his honour and the greatness of his name shall be. and make new nations. He shall flourish, and like a mountain cellar reach his branches to all the plains about him. Our children’s children shall see this and bless heaven.” Some of those present might think: Why'quote poetry to hard-headed business men? If they did he would reply, because this great Commonwealth of Nations of ours, rightly considered and including one quarter of the human race, of all colours, creeds and grades, is the most romantic and poetic institution on this earth. As with Shakespeare so with Wordsworth, freedom was and is the keynote of the Commonwealth of Nations—these great communities organised for the general good. One may think that the development of these Dominions was a very simple matter —that they got hold of a transcript of the British constitution and adopted it as their own. But it was not as simple as all that, and here the speaker quoted the case of Nova Scotia, which for 13 years protested against (lie powers given the Lieuten-ant-Governor (appointed by the Imperial Government). Then, too. there was a rebellion in Canada before a government with real freedom was established. These colonies were made what they were, not by imposing restrictions upon their people but by giving them freedom. One of the last to cbme into line was India. Hertzog’s Tribute. To realise the extent to which this freedom given to her overseas possessions by England was appreciated, the speaker quoted General Hertzog, Prime Minister of the South African Union, and at one time a bitter enemy of England’s. Speaking at Bloemfontein, he said: “I am filled with the deepest appreciation of what the British people and the British Government had the courage to do by giving us what is rightly ours without once looking back. They not only gave us what we desired, but fraternally assisted us to bring into effect all that is implied in sovereign independence. Without the slightest hesitation bis Majesty the King signed the Status /lets, which are the final decisive expression of our freedom. We as a nation would be truly Ungrateful unless we acknowledge the great-heart-ed attitude of the British Government and the British people. There is no country in the world that would have given us this with so much willingness and generosity, anil with such an absence of self-interested bargaining. For the first time, South Africa has complete sovereign, independence, and is as completely free as any nation in the world.”

And so each of the Dominions, starting as colonies, attained tins freedom one after the other, freedom which gave each one power to legislate for its own territory and people; but outside that tlie King, through his advisers, in the British Ministry had powers of decision. That Imperial power was administered through the Governor-General, who could veto Bills by reserving the assent of his Majesty.

Mr. von Haast also mentioned the .Statute of Westminster, which gave even greater freedom to the overseas Dominions. The Statute, while it recognised the supremacy of the Crown, took it away, for tinder it a country could not only legislate within but beyond its boundaries, and it provided that an linjierial statute could not override a Dominion one. It could also have its own foreign policy, have its own defence forces (apart from Imperial units), and one member of the Commonwealth was under no obligation to go to the assistance of another; It could make treaties with other counries, provided it submitted them to other members of the Commonwealth who might be concerned; and it gave tlie Dominions the right (o approach the King without the intervention of any member of tlie British Government. This mqy have made his Majesty somewhat of a rubber stamp, as all a Dominion Government had to say to him was: “Please appoint Mr. So-and-So to such-and-such an office,” and it was done, even though his Majesty might not liold that the person was suited to hold tlie position. He quoted tlie cases of the Governor of Southern Ireland and the GovernorGeneral of Australia as eases in point. So one could see how in tlie case of a situation such as had cropped up between Italy and Abyssinia, bow difficult it was for England to steer a safe course, for she had not only to please tlie people of Great Britain but of her Dominions. A Weakness. Mr. von Haast had something to say about tlie weakness of loose federations. Even Lord Robert Cecil, who had done such valuable work at die League of Nations, had visualised a federation of Europe, but that were scarcely possible when they could not federate themselves, lie also referred to tlie whittling down of the Privy Council, as (lie final Court of Appeal in tlie nation. The Irish Free State had already abolished it, and South Africa was following suit. In another direction it was observable that countries within tlie British Commonwealth of Nations wore lieginning to have their own diplomatic services. Canada and South Africa had their diplomats, and nt times it was very difficult to reconcile their respective policies. Mr. J. JI. A. Hott, who had introduced tlie speaker as an outstanding authority on international and national affairs, expressed the thanks of the members for the interesting address given.