THE BRITISH PEOPLES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1928, Page 20

THE BRITISH PEOPLES

UNITY IN LOYALTY BETTER THAN FEDERATION (From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 19th May. Sir Johu Simon, M.P., speaking at the banquet of tlio Association of British Chambers of Commerce, said: "May I observe for a moment about this Commonwealth of British nations that perhaps it is just as well that the ordinary Britisher ia not given to historical retrospect, or to abstract meditation? If he were, 1 daresay lie wouJd not be as good, a business man as he is, and certainly when he begins to reflect on the history of. the development of the British Empire he finds himself in the presence of a fact as stupendous and as permanent a mystery as any event in the history'of human institutions. There must be many who, like myself, reflecting, with pride on all that this means to us, may have asked, "What happy chance is it that has made us partners in this, splendid enterprise'? "I will not venture to detain you with any synopsis of the present state of this immense organism, the British Dominions of the Crown; still less with any speculation as to the future; but let us just for one moment consider what are at this time of day the fundamental considerations upon which It is based and is developing. First, I would put the principle which the practical rneu of our own race have been the first thoroughly to establish in the world, the principle that unity in loyalty may be best secured by diversity in loca) government, that the greatest measure of local freedom is upon the whole the best way to secure co-opera-tion between every part. Secondly, I would put this doctrine, which has long b "> imminent in oui Empire, » but which was expressed in formal terms at the Imperial Conference only last year—the doctrine of the equal status of British citizenship iv every Dominion, so that between, all self-governing partners of the Empire there.is an absolutely equality of liberty. ' Thirdly, "I put that silken bond which, unites the whole. 1 would add this: The British Empire is not a federation; each part of it is not subject to some high; er or broader legislative body. It is not a federation but, a commonwealth, iii which co-operation under, a common Crown typifies bur resolve to work with and to help one another whatever the future may have, in' store.', . . When we ask ourselves what use the component parts of this commonwealth mean to make of their freedom I will make bold to answer that they mean, come what will, to live united under the British Crown."