LABOUR YIELDS TO NONE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1924, Page 7

LABOUR YIELDS TO NONE

DESIRE TO PROMOTE WELFARE OF EMPIRE.

(REHTER'S TEttCRAM.) (Received 30th January, noon.) LONDON, 29th January, Mr. J, H- I'honias, Cplpni.al Secretary, received Empire -jouriifilists at the Cplonial Oflice, and lengthily pu'tlined'the Governmept's Empire policy, ' He referred at tljeputset to'tlie nonsense talked abptit Labour being apti-jjmpli-e and "tjiat tlie new Government was only restrained frpm. upsetting existing arrangements because it had not 3 majority jn power. He admitted that the 'tone had npw changed, No Government had received a more encouraging send-off, but there were still elements of suspicjcn and ap. prehensjpn. throughout the Empire.' lie wished tp' dispel such feelings.'- "Labour did have tho idea of the New Jerusalem, hut only desired to advance by reasonable prudent steps. He emphasised' ihe fact that all the Ministers had been assisted by the great Civil Service, which"'Mr.' •Them-*s found, as ,)ie' expected,' to 'be cpmposed pf able, devoted men, placing the interests pf State abpve that pf sectiPn. .'-''' The Labour Party yielded to none in its desire to prompte the welfare'of Empire and draw the ties closer. •% te regard it as sacr.e'd," he said, "and we' shall develop it impartially and'freely. Nobody is able tp say how long we shall hold office, but I am genuinely anxious that, when we relinquish office, nobody in the grpat Empire will be able to say it was less great as a result of our work," , ■- ■• ■ .- - "In reply to a question he said it would be madness to assume that he should accept all his predecessor did.' Ifhjid been decided that the Empire could be developed and unemployment in Britain helped by the expenditure of mony on Empire development, He said that the resolutions of the Imperial Conference would be considered by Cabinet. /'He adhered to Mr. MucDoiiald's statement on that point. One of the first difficulties was the Kenya Colony, which he had 'given more consideration than tp apy other. He said emphatically that our first duty was- to the African natives. Neither European nor Indian interest would divert us frpm the obligation to them. The policy outlined in the White Paper recently issued wpuld mpst likely be fpllowed.