EMPIRE TOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 25, 31 January 1933, Page 7

EMPIRE TOURS

SOME DINNER SPEECHES

LACK OF PUBLICITY

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 22nd December. At a dinner given by thS British Empire Tours Committee at Claridge's a few'nights ago, Sir.Thomas Wilford spoke for half-an-hour on New Zealand. He told them, of the Dominion's difficulties, of her attainments, endeavours, successes, and what he believed would be her eventful emergence from the mass of troubles that were world wide. As he was speaking to educated young men he had prepared his speech with great care and made a considerable impression. There wore present 250 old boys of Winchester, Eton, Harrow, Marlborough, and Clifton Colleges, and theso were seated at four different tables labelled Africa, Can 1 ada, New Zealand, and' Australia. Two men fßom each table told in five minutes each what were their chief impressions of the respective Dominions they* had visited. The High Commissioner was greatly struck with the able way in which all these young men spoke, and he said that if ho were choosing men for Empire propaganda purposes he would choose them from among these ex-public schoolboys who had toured the Dominions.

Unfortunately, the Empire' Press was not represented at the dinner. The only reporter present was from "The Times," who necessarily had to leave before the young speakers and the High Commissioner addressed the company, and had to Testritt his report. to a few words by the two members of Parliament. '

Although the Empire Toutt-s Committee have done and are doing such excellent work they seem to have failed to grasp the power of • the Pross. Their tours have something more than a, private interest," especially, as the Dominion Governments so Toadily grant facilities of travel. It would certainly help to advance an Empire cause if the members of the committee accorded facilities for a little more publicity, and, as in the present case, gave returned travellers the opportunity of speaking to a wider audience than 'that assembled in a, single- loom.