AN EMPIRE CLUB

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 71, 24 March 1920, Page 9

AN EMPIRE CLUB

LINKS WITH DOMINIONS OPPORTUNE MOMENT THE IMPERIAL HIVE. (FBOH OUR OWN CORRSaPONMKT.) ■ LONDON, 28th January. Very much interest has been, aroused!! by the suggestion, made by the High I Commiseioner for 'New Zealand at, .this ' week's luncheon to the Prince of Wales,; when he'mentioned a scheme which he had in i mind for the establishment in ; the centre of the Empire of a club or institute ■ where overseas visitors would i feel at home, and would '■ realise "tbe-l great heart that beats here," Sir Thomas Mackenzie on. that day Teferred to the ' consummation of that idea as a "Queen ; Bee that might bring together the Im- ' perial hive." ' _ ■'-'■. Talking about his suggestion with a Daily Telegraph representative, Sir ■ Thomas mentioned that something of the same kind had been in the mind of Sir Ernest P. G. Hatch as well, and that h« and Sir Ernest had been comparing i notes. What is needed, in the High ComVriEsioner's opinion, is something very extensive. A great deal has been done, but there is still something wanting. "A million of money or more may be re- ; quired, but that does not daunt me if •' the need, which I am convinced dees ex- • Ist, is. at last vividly and generally realised." , ■ v . ■_. ■ ' ■ As to why he had chosen to give publicity to his thoughts in the presence of. !, the Prince of Wales, he could only say ! that in the course of his speech he had ' instinctively felt that the moment_ was m opportune, although he had not previously ; tested the feeling of his' fellow . High; Commissionei*s' upon the subject. J1 : DISAPPOINTED OVERSEAS • VISITORS. . "What happens at the present time," said Sir Thomas, "is that the overseas people come here,' and the Agents-Gene-ral and High, Commissioners are glad to see those who call, and to help them in every possible way; but there is a limit to our ability, which is really narrow, as we have not the time to see a great deal , of them. .Some of the visitors from the >■ Dominion get on very well, and the others do not get on at all. They find themselves 1 very isolated. They often go back disappointed. I knew what that meant when. 1 came here thirty years ago, t for. I experienced the same lack of interest. No one is to blame in partiou- ■ lar for it. ■ \ "We from the Dominions realise that on this side there are many English and Scottish people who, if they only knew, what to do, would be anxious and ■will-/ ing to carry out kindly and social duties. The Colonial Institute does splendid work, and so does the Imperial Institute, .-, and so do other organisations and clubs. There has been a groat deal of good individual work done during the war. We , carmot_. indeed, be too grateful for what i has been accomplished, but now that the ' war is over many of these organisations ; are disbanding, especially those promoted for the soldiers. Individual effort is ceasing, and we are likely to lapse back : into our old ways. " A CHECK ON UNDESIRABLE INFLUENCES. "It is also a regrettable fact that there are in some of the overseas places influences at'work against the unity of the British Empire. What I have in : mind is to correct these influences, and to allow the hospitality which exists here to find expression, to make the overseas visitors feel that they are respected and loved, and so arrange that they shall feel that this country and the Dominions are .really one in heart, : spirit, and desire. It appears to some of us that an institution should be established on good lines for the reception' and accommodation of the overseas peo- ; pie, or such as care to go. There they could meet each other, form personal associations, create the basis of good-will and understanding, and be able themselves'to offer hospitality to their friends. These should, of course, include British people, and the linking up of British ■ interests and sympathy with the institutions must, if it is to be successful, be one of its main'features. There ought to be receptions once a week, or once a month. They might be simple;and inexpensive' so long -as they brought people of this country and the people of the Dominions together, and gave- them a , real interest in each other. , .. '■'■/■ TRADE WITHIN' THE EMPIRE. Having sketched roughly the social / side of the project, the High Commissioner turned to the assistance which silch an institution would' afford to Imperial ' trade. "Numbers of our people," he said, "are arriving in London, and in this country it is-probably not fully appre-..: ciated that they are coming via America. The American is very up to date in some departments of business and manufacture; . and he is eager to trade. He is very cordial in his manner, and he will go to no end of trouble to advance commercial relations; He has really a good-hearted desire to be agreeable to his visitors. The people from overseas finally arrive in this country—their original goal.—where, owing to the war, there is a great sesxeity of manufactured goods and a consequent indifference in the matter of securing orders by those who have the goods. They are quite courteous, and kindly, and no doubt they do their best, but the visitor often does not get what he requires, and there the business'ends and the well-intentioned- inquiries.may be in dariger of never being renewed. There is ■ a namesake of my own connected with an organisation in this country which is'promoted for the purpose of helping oversea visitors to find the traders and sources of supply they require. It is a most admirable institution, and if we had' a central establishment of the sort—which it.is one['of my hopes to see built up— these visitors and traders could more easily come .together, and We could.get •- a; much better understanding of each other. "Take my own little Dominion. I riotice our exterior trade for the last ,ten: months was £62,000,000, and I *uppos» about nine-tenths of that, is done, or would be done, in this country, if. there were the goods. And if that is what a, small Dominion like ours can do, you can see how necessary it is to retain' r that trade from- keen competition. ' HELPING EMIGRATION. ; 'That also raises the question of enjigration. People in this country desire to. go out to the Dominion, and people who are coming 'home' now are anxious - to engage certain classes of workmen. The trouble at present is how to bring them togethei. We want all those wno desire to leave Great Britain directed to the Dominions. The question of- trade alone renders that important. I believe every person who goes to Now Zealand represents the purchase every year of £20 of British manufactures, whereas a pereon leaving this country and going to the United States or foreign parts would not represents per year a-s many shillings . in what Great Britain produces." Sir Ernest Hatch is well-known in most overseas countries, whereN ho has travelled extensively.