UNIVERSITY DEBATE

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 101, 30 April 1923, Page 3

UNIVERSITY DEBATE

THE EMPIRE AND SELFDETERMINATION

RIGHT OF SECESSION AFFIRMED,

The gymnasium hall at I Victoria College was crowded to the doors on Saturday night, when the University Debating Society held a visitors' debate on the motion: "That the Imperial Parliament should explicitly declare that at the request of the people of any substantial part of the British Empire complete independence will be freely conceded." The chairman, Mr. H. M'Cormp.ck, in welcoming the visitors- explained that the society in securing the participation of prominent public men was following the lead of older universities and endeavouring to bring the university into' closer touch with the community. The Debating Society invited the public to attend the fortnightly debates at the college. Mr. P. Martin-Smith, in opening for the affirmative, said that the problem largely centred around the status of the Dominions in their relations with other nations. To-day the power of determining vital issues of peace and war was vested in the British Cabinet, a body responsible to the ' British electorate only. All attempts to establish a central body representative of the Empire had failed, and in fact there were mr superable obstacles of time and distance to all schemes of centralised control. Each country must be free to decide its own foreign policy. The real ties that bound the Empire together were natural and economic; the artificial and political bonds, which were not fundamental, must be subject to alteration to meet the changing nee3s of time. The basis of the Empire must be the free association' of peoples, and mere size was not an end in itself.

Mr. A. W. Free, leading for the negative, characterised the motion as a proposal to strike a blow at the foundation of the British Empire. We already, he «aid, had. a Commonwealth of Free Nations, each enjoying the attributes of independence, and we should not lightly quit the Empire in pursuit of mythical freedom. If the Dominions secured independence they would quickly fall into a condition of helplessness comparable to that of the South American States after their severance from Spain. The maintenance of a White Australia, and the continued exclusion of Asiatics from New Zealand would both Be impossible. India, too, would be exposed to the certainty of Russian invasion. Any step in the direction of disintegrating/the Empire would be disastrous both to the people concerned and to the interests of world peace. Mr. P. J. O'Eegan supported Mr. Martin-Smith, and reminded his audience that the most eminent founders of British colonies anticipated their ultimate development into independent nations. Imperial or absentee government and any attempt to delegate governmental functions to the joint control of "Downing Street and Belgravia" were equally the negation of democracy. The lessons of history showed the futility of all effort to govern without the consent of the governed. The time would certainly come when New Zealand and the other constitutent parts of the Empire would take their place as free nations, and this could well be allowed without bloodshed and without loss of friendship.

Colonel T. W. M'Donald. seconded the negative. He asserted that the carrying of the motion would amount to an intimation that we desired to sever our connection with the British Empire. As a matter of fact, there was no Imperial Parliament .such as the motion postulated, and he advocated some effective organisation that would be representative of the Empire. .Apart, from considerations of sentiment, the: Empire wreckers ignored the fact that the closest co-op-eration was necessary to enable the Empire to bear the immense financial burden left by the war. He appealed to his hearers, as they valued their Empire, to do all in their power to safeguard her foundations, to preserve her influence, and to uphold the honour of her flag. Many speakers took part in the discussion, after which the motion was put to the meeting, and carried by a very large majority. The judge, Mr. T. H. Gill, M.A., LL.B., placed the best college speakers in the following order :— Messrs. Martin-Smith. Davidsoiij Haigh. Free, and Baume. The meeting closed with hearty votes of thanks to Mr. O'Regan and Colonel M'Donald. for participating!, and to Mr. Gill for judging the' speakers.