VICTORIA LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 32, 6 August 1921, Page 9

VICTORIA LEAGUE

MASS MEETING AT THE GUILDHALL

PRINCE OF WALES PRESIDES

VISCOUNT MILNER'S SPEECH.

(FIOM ODII OWN CORH3BPONDMT.)

LONDON, 21st June.

Added interest was given to the annual mass meeting of the Victoria League to-day by the fact that the Prince of Wales occupied the chair. 'The historic Guildhall was crowded, even the balconies at the rear of the hall and at the sides being occupied. In one of these immediately overlooking the platform were the overseas delegates, the New Zealanders included among them being Mr. and Mrs. Napier (Auckland), Mrs. 'ilipp (Wellington), Mr. and Mrs, Cary Hill (Christchurch), and Miss Hurt (Dunedin). Among some fifty or more well-known people on the platform were Viscount and Viscountess Miluer, Sir James and Lady Allen, the Countess vl Liverpool, Sir Fabian and Lady Ware, Mrs. Massey and Miss Massey, Sir Robert and Lady Stout, and Lieut.Colonel Aroery.' Other New Zealamlers amongst the audience included Mrs. P. R. Sargood, and her two daughters, Mrs. Walter \'oung, Mrs. de Castro, and Mrs. Scoular.

The Prince inspected a guard of honour of Boy Scouts before entering the hall. On his arrival Dame ■Clara Butt sang two verses of the National Anthem, and the, audience repeated the first verse.

"I am quite sure," said the Prince in his opening speech, "that every Britisher, who knows the purpose vf the work of the Victoria l.engno will i>e anxious to give his or her support, for the object of tho league is a closer unity between the British subjects in different parts of the world. I think this meeting is of special interest in view of the fact that we have in the Old Country at the present moment the Prime Ministers of the Dominions. We are very sorry that they are not with aus this morning, but they are busy discussing what ca>i be done for the general good of the Empire as a whole. During my visit to Australia and New Zealand I met both individually and collectively members of the Victoria League, and I can testify to what they are doing all these thousands of miles away. I would like to express my hope that in this twentieth year of the league its membership may be doubled and thus may this splendid association be placed on a really firm and solid foundation." PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. The Dowager Countess of Jersey, president of the league, recalled the fact that twenty • years ago she was dining , with the late Mr. Joseph Chamberlain. 1 As she came into the room he said: "Perhaps you can tell us what this Vic-1 toria League is?" For twenty years she had been answering that question. But the answer was always changing, for the work of the league-was always spreading, and fresh interests arose. Perhaps Mr-. Rudyard Kipling explained it in the phase: "It was the first attempt to organise sympathy." There were many answers, but perhaps the kindest came from one of the Dominions) "We were a secret society of angels." They were not a secret society, however, and they could not claim to be angels except in so far as !that term meant messengers. • Further, they could claim they were a, band of people who had recognised that there was a great deal of human nature about. While they were aware 'that tho nation and the Empire must 1 be founded on the skill of the soldier, and the constitution must be framed by the knowledge and the skill of the lawyer, the Empire was comprised of men and women, and' if these were to hold together there must \>e a better knowledge of one another who visited England from overseas in touch with the people in this country, and those people who left England to visit the Dominions were brought into touch with the people of those countries. But they could notl have done this had it not been for the ready response of the Dominions, who had affiliated leagues in every part of the Empire. They were trying, and, she believed, successfully, to carry on this great work, but they could not extend their work into the many openings that were presented unless they had a still larger membership. .It was this point that they wanted to emphasise to-day. FOUNDATIONS OF EMPIRE. Lord Milner then proposed -the following resolution: "That in the opinion of this meeting the practical and non-party work of the Victoria League for the Empire deservae the hearty support of all British people." The league began, said Lord Milner, at a time of great trouble fp ; r ,the Empire, when there was division, and not only division, but war within its borders. It had continued its efforts for many years in the great work of peace.' It had gained for itself a recognised place and performed a special function in the net-work of economic, social, and moral schemes which held the countries under the British flag together. Its special work might appear a humble one by the side of more ambitious efforts to promote Empire unity, but it was a very useful work all the same. For if the cohesion of the Empire was largely a matter of feeling then surely it was of supreme importance that men and women going from one part of the Empire to another should not feelas if they were going to'a foreign country: The most ambitious hopes of the most ardent Imperialist would be achieved if all the subjects of His Majeßty could feel at home in any of his Dominions. It was to promote that home feeling wherever citizens of the Empire may be that the Victoria League existed. While it wisely eschewed politics in the common sense of the word, it nevertheless was of political value in the highest sense of the word. Tho league sought to achieve its object in two ways. It sought to spread knowledge of the Empire, to make the life and conditions and interests of the people in one part of it familiar to the people in other parts. That was the educational side. Biit there was another side. The league sought to create a chain of friendship binding together the different scattered British communities. It sought to ensure "that every man and woman passing from one of these communities to another should have the hand of welcome extended to him or her. It might be understood what a great work the league has undertaken. But it was nothing compared to thel_ work that remained. His Royal [Highness had referred to the fact that 'the present was a very favourable moment to stimulate the interest in the work of the league. There were met that day all the Prime Ministers of. all the self-governing States of the Empire. Their labours had prevented them from being present at the Victoria League meeting, but he was certain they must all realise that the league was ono of the agencies which was laying the foundations upon which alone they could surely build. The closer they came to,- grips with the Empire problem the more they must all realise that it is in the main a moral, a human, problem, and that especially to-day, when the Empire is so loosely connected, with, hardly any' common institutions except the C'cowix, ?Hfiotive unity, was oaly poasibl? ii tfl«

majority of the p*ople in every on© of the self-governing States thought and felt on the big vital questions afike. KNOWLEDGE AND SYMPATHY.

"It is on mutual knowledge and sympathy that we muet rely," Lord Milner concluded. "They have not served ua so badly in the past. We must look to them to serve us still better in the future. They will in time create new institutions. I think to the discerning eye the beginning of such institutions are already visible. I should say the Empire tree has shed its bark, but it is growing a new one. It matters not how far the branches may extend and stretch out in different directions to all the winds of heaven., so long as the roots are sound. It is the work of this association to protect and n9iirish the roots." Other speakers were the Lord Mayor, Sir Edgar Walton (High Commissioner far Soutb Africa), Sir George Perley (High Commissioner for Canada). Sir James Allen moved a vote of thanks to the speakers, and to the Court of Common Council for the use of the Guildhall. „ It was a great privilege, he said, for them to meet in snch an historic place, with all its associations and traditions—traditions which the people far removed from the great centre of the British Empire did not forget, and claimed equally as their own with the people of this country. He would commend the speakers who had been gracious enough to aissist in the proceedings to follow the example of Hie Eoyail Highness and visit the Empire, and he hoped to se« them all in New Zealand before very long.

! ANNUAL REPORT.

The annual report of the league states that the normal work in its first com- I plete. year of restoration shows considerable Gxpanison as compared with 1913----14. This is particularly noticeable in the reports of the Education and^ Settlers' . 'Welcome Sub-committees. The formalities in the matter of the incorporation of the league have been long drawn out, and the actual registration will only date from May, 1921. This step has been taken by the committee on legal advioe, in order to secure for the league a corporate existence, recognised by law, -which it did not possess before, i Without incorporation, the league was 'ncapable, as » body, of holding property, or receiving legacies, or of entering into closer relations (if such were at any time desired) with other societies and organisations. The Hospitality, Committee has welcomed hundreds of oversea members and their friends this year. Many personal introductions and invitations have been, arranged, and the regular "office teas" at 22, Eccleston-square, begun as' an experiment, have become an institution equally popular, as it seems, with, hosts arid guests. Another experiment took the form of co-operation with the Selborne Society, which has kindly made special arrangements for oversea members of the league to join its "rambles" in and near London. These certainly met the desires of a large number of members. The league has supplemented' the Selbome programme with special expeditions of its own. 1 Through the help of Dr. A. P. Newton, Bhodes Professor in London University, it has been possible to get into touch with a considerable number of the' students from different parts of the 'pire now working in London colleges, and medical, architectural, and other schools. Many are post-graduates, doing research work. Invitations both t<J Victoria League parties and from individual members have been welcomed by (many of these, and it is hoped to see 'much more of them during the coming year. . , - ' The scheme for exchange of school exhibitions has received a good deal of attention since last year. Its practical, difficulties ar» considerable, and progress has, therefore, been slow. The first exhibition is, however, about to be despatched to New Zealand. ■, It shows, through a variety of specimens,) the different stages of cotton manufacture, and has been collected and housed in a specially-made "exhibition box" by the boys of Henshaw's Bluecoat School, Oldham, on the initiative and under the supervision of Mr. Holland, governor of the school. .

Invitations to become hon. vice-presi-dents of the league have been accepted during the year by Colonel the Hon. Sir James Allen, X.C.8., 'High (Commissioner for New Zealand, Sir; William Meyer, G.C.1.E., X.C.5.1., High Commissioner for India, and H.E. the Earl of Reading, P.C., C.G.B.', G.C.M.G., Viceroy of India,