New Zealand’s Dependence On Britain

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 6, 2 October 1937, Page 7

New Zealand’s Dependence On Britain

Sir, —I was rather interested to listenin to a discussion in Parliament as to the status of the British Dominions. I do not think it matters very much what we call ourselves; the fact remains that we are dependent for our very existence upon Great Britain, and always will be. True, we have been given self-govern-ment, but I would ask how long we could maintain our independence or even carry on at all without the protection and trade which we receive from the MotlVr Country. Personally, I think Britain and her Dominions' have got along quite well us an Empire, but nowadays it seems that both in public and private life there seems to be a tendency to cut loose from any restraint. Whether this is for the good of the people must be left to them to decide, and in doing so I will just ask one question: What good object can it serve for the British Dominions to lay special stress upon their independence, when their people in their own hearts know they can never be really independent, and survive? . Taking everything into consideration I think we should be proud to belong to the British Empire. The bonds of kinship and friendship. should be too strong to cause us to wish to slacken the ties that unite us to the Motherland. Before she is much older, New Zealand might be glad to acknowledge her almost complete dependence on England.-I Bushy Park, September 28.