The King Speaks— What British Empire-Stands For In World

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1948, Page 6

The King Speaks— What British EmpireStands For In World

(Rec. 10.25 a.m.) LONDON, October 14. • His Majesty the King, in a speech welcoming the Dominion Prime Ministers and other Commonwealth representatives at the Buckingham Palace dinner party last night emphasised the leading part the Commonwealth could play in bringing peace. His Majesty said: “I welcome these meetings, because I set a high value on personal contacts between those responsible for guiding our affairs in different’parts of the Commonwealth. For myself, I specially welcome such meetings in London, "for this gives me an opportunity to meet and talk with my Ministers from countries overseas. . Nevertheless, I hope the opportunity will be found to hold some of our meetings in other Commonwealth capitals.” After stressing the historical Significance of the occasion, His Majesty told the delegates: “Yon between you are charged with the good government of more than 500,000,000 souls. This is a solemn thought, illustrating the immense, direct responsibility which lies on you in your deliberations. “The world today is in a state or terrible distress and the peoples of the world look almost despairingly to their chosen governors to bring order out of disorder and to bring peace. The great majority of the people Jook also to our own association of peoples our Commonwealth of Nations —to play a leading part in the process. We must not fail them Peace-loving Democracies The Commonwealth, he added, always stood for certain principles

fundamental to the good of humanity. It had neyer countenanced injustice, tyranny and oppression. The self-governing members of the Commonwealth, embracing peoples of different upbringing, social background and religious belief, all had this in common—they were peace-loving democracies in which the ideal of political liberty and personal freedom were jealously and constantly preserved. Whatever outward form the Commonwealth might assume in the future the principles which ipspired it must prevail in the world. “I am confident that in your coming deliberations you will work to this end,” His Majesty added.