"THE DOMINIONS AND OURSELVES"

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 23, 27 July 1920, Page 2

"THE DOMINIONS AND OURSELVES"

DEVOTION TO THE THRONE

(FROM OUR OWN COBRBSrOmfiNT.)

LONDON, 6th May,

The Prince of Wales at Auckland :«= "I feel one of yourselves among my own kith and kin."

"It is a., great thing that the Boyai Ambassador of the British people on setting foot in this great ppminion could utter emeh a sentiment in all' sincerity on his own part, and -that it could be received with equal sincerity by those to whom his words w.era addressed,' 1 comments the Paily Telegraph. "As Sir Thomas Mackenzie suggested, the Empire, in going through an exacting ordeal, when defence of life und freedom welded all the scattered peoples together in a, common task, has become conscious of its •unity."

The Daily Telegraph is convinced that the Prince will find ample evidence of the spirit which animates th&se oversea nations in tho Pacific as they confront tho future with characteristic courage and resource, and with no less characteristic devotion to the Anglo-Saxon ideals of which the visible emblem for them, as for us,- is the Throne. "We aro linked together by no Parliamentary bonds on which reliance could be placed in a storm. But greater than any other influence in strengthening the bonds, intangible but real as the late war demonstrated, which unite the Empire, is the devotion to the one King of peoples, who are in essential respects one, though they are separated by leagues of sea. "It is a fortunate circumstance that at this juncture in our Imperial history we have in the Heir Apparent an ambassador so well qualified by his personal qualities, as by his sympathetic vision, to keep alive and develop the new relationships between the British nations which owe so much to the annealing process of war; and tho people of New Zealand may be assured that we on this side of the world shall follow his progress with a lively sense of the part they took, and are destined to take in days to come, in sustaining and developing the Imperial spirit." ' ■' ONE FAMILY. The writer asks: "Can we not carry into the new era of peace which is opening something of that spirit of mutual helpfulness which went so far towards the winning of the war? The Government has made a start, if a small one, by responding, as was done in. the last Budget, to the preference which the Dominions have extended to our goods for years past; the duties on their manufactured articles are preferential to the extent of one-third and on consumable articles, apart from alcohol, by onesixth. That principle reappears in the new Budget, and, while it is possible, if not probable, that it will receive extended application in future years, we cannot believe that a Chancellor of the Exchequer will ever be found with the courage to repudiate it. It is an admission that we in the Old Country and our kinsmen in the Dominions belong' to one family, and that the desire for as much mutual trade as possible is a natural one, since we are partners- in a great Commonwealth. All that is to the good. But Sir Thomas Mackenzie drew attention to some incidents in owv trading relations with New Zealand which point in another direction, and must jtend to discourage closer co-operation." There is briefly outlined the statements made by the High Commissioner relative to New Zealand produce matters and British Government control, "matters which are not small."

DANGERS OF NATIONALISATION.

While not professing to judge the issue, the Daily Telegraph considers the High Commissioner was well advised in calling attention to any such specific causes of irritation. "The grievances are probably the result of control; but, if so, let us have the truth, so that these people on the other side of the world may understand that the treat-, ment they have received is due not to any want of friendly sentiment in trade on the part of their kith and kin here, but to errors of administration for which the inhabitants of this country are not directly responsible. Of course, the radical cure in all such cases lies in freedom of exchange and mart between tha traders here and the producers overseas. These incidents illustrate the dangers associated with any form of nationalisation; any grievance involves the Governments. If there is cause, of complaint of unfairness in normal conditions, the Governments, whether Imperial or Dominion, occupy the positions, not of parties to the dispute, but of umpires. We are sure that public opinion in this country will support the High Commissioner in his claim that 'the same share of justice should be meted out to them—the peoples of the Dominions —as to the people on this side.' It may, at first sight, seem unfortunate that Sir Thomas Mackenzie should have been compelled to have recourse to such an open method of defending his fellowcountrymen ; but, on reflection, one may conclude that the incident will probably do good. The speech will direct attention to one of the fundamental problems of the Empire—the necessity of the Old Country and the Dominions co-operating as cordially in the ordinary business of life as they did in the tasks of war. We must be on our guard lest in the mart 'we sacrifice much that we won when standing shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield. The Prince of Wales's visit will, we are confident, help to check any such tendency, but a good deal will depend on the attitude of Government Departments towards Imperial trade in the interregnum which must precede the raising of the present system of control."