AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 139, 9 December 1924, Page 5

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S SPEECH

IMPERIAL TRADE AND SAFETY.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.~COPIf.IOBT.) (AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND OABLB ASSOCIATION.) I (Received 9th December, 10 a.m.) LONDON, Bth December. Mr. Leopold Amery, Colonial Secretary, as the guest of the Australian and New Zealand Luncheon Club, said that Australia and New Zealand in the new movements to-day occupied a geographical position comparable with that of the British Isles three hundred years ago. It was impossible to say to-day whether Australia and New Zealand would be able, to profit by their position and marvellous opportunity, and defend themselves effectively against tho possible perils of that position. Their weakness was lack of numbers, owing to the complete absence of a true cooperative policy with the Homeland for the reciprocal use of each other's resources; but.we were learning wisdom now. -\^f ■■■.'' '■' MIGRATION -AND PREFERENCE Mr. Amery ' eaid he hoped it would now be possible to carry out an Empire settlement policy to an even greater extent than was provided by the Empire Settlement Act. It was useless to assist people to cross the ocean unless provision was made to purchase their produce. He hoped that despite the slight lapse a few months ago, ■ there would be ever-increasing pressure to cany out the policy of Imperial preference in every direction. VITAL GATEWAYS OF COMMERCE Referring to the necessity for keeping the ocean routes open in the interest of Empire defence, he said there were three gateways of vital importance—Gi- [ braltar, the Suez Canal, and the Straits lof Singapore. We were bound to safeguard effectively and firmly our rights 'in Egypt, particularly those bearing Imperial communications. This was an internal matter, concerning the. British Empire, and not concerning anyone else.' Singapore was another gateway which might be valueless unless means were provided to re-equip our ships. That also was purely an internal matter for ourselves, which we were not. merely entitled to look after, but bound to make sure of. He concluded by saying : "In the vast developments pending in the Pacific,_ Australia- and New . Zealand must give a lead to the new world, as Britain, has given a. lead to the old world." . ' '