PRESS OF THE EMPIRE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 25 June 1925, Page 9

PRESS OF THE EMPIRE.

ITS NOBLE MISSION

THE COMING CONFERENCE: BRITISH DELEGATES- ENTERTAINED: BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPY RIGHT. Received June 25, 1.10 p.m. LONDON, June 24. Sir Harry Brittain presided at a largely-attended luncheon in the House of Commons to the Imperial Press Conference delegates. He read a letter from Mr Baldwin wishing the delegation success, and saying that no doubt the conference would be productive of as good results from the viewpoint of Imperial co-operation as the Ottawa and London conferences.

Mr L. S. Amery (Secretary of State for the Dominions), in proposing, the toast of the delegation and recalling the urofouiid effect of the 1909 conference, asserted that the Press of the whole Empire had a- great common tradition, making the Press of the English-speak-ing world stgmd higher and have a greater faith in its own mission than the Press of any other country. The curious collection of Governments called the British Empire was kept together not so much by constitutional machinery as by the idea the strength of which lay in looking forward, not behind. The British peoples were animated by a great conception of what they could do by mutual co-operation for the encouragement and defence, .not only of the economic welfare of the Empire, but a’so of the ideals they prized so highly. Lord Burnham, responding, addressed Mr Amery as Secretary of- .State for the Dominions, which raised cheers. He criticised the action of the Imperial Treasury in postponing a reduction in the Press cable- rates to Australia. He paid a tribute to the Western Union Cable Company for the increase in its facilities. They believed they were on the eve of a reduction in charges, the present high rates of which was one of the reasons given for the news service on both sides being allegedly unsatisfactory. Unfortunately this would be put off'at least till after the Press Conference. It was a little unfortunate that, just before they went away, when an agreement had apparently been reached!, the authorities ofi the Treasury should , have put their foot down and said the matter should, stand over at present. It was not merely a question of gain to the newspapers, but a reduction would greatly help those who-were trying to give a fuller service of news and comments. There might have- been faults on their side, but' when they tried to correct and- amend them they locked for a little more co-operation on the part of the Government at Home. Without that it was quite impossible to do what they hoped towards, increasing the luminous unity of the Great Commonwealth. —Reuter.