The Hawera Star. MONDAY, JULY 30, 1928. LORD BALFOUR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 July 1928, Page 6

The Hawera Star.

MONDAY, JULY 30, 1928. LORD BALFOUR.

Delivered every evening by 5. o’clock to Hawera, Manair.. Kornaanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki. Kaponga, Alton, Hurleyville Patea, Waverlev, Mo_oia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Meremere. Prase* Road, and Ararata.

Lord Balfour, who- hals been the isubj c -ct of a. -remarkalble tribute by all pairties in the House of Commons, hais been one of the intelleeitual forces in British public life for half a, cenit.uTy, and has held the highest 'offices under the Crown. In international polities he ■hials represented the British *vi owpoint with the greatest distinction. He was ithe head of the British delegation to the Conference of the Great Powers at Washington when naval limitation first entered upon a definite stage, and the representatives of the other nations paid generous tribute to this construetiyie ability and -gifts of compromise. Indeed, it is now .generalily (recognised | that had the conference bean prepared ltd igo as far as Lord Balfour advocated in the matter of reducing naVa-1 airmaniients, many of the 'difficulties that confront ns to-day would have been avoided. In recent- years his ou’tsltauding service -to the Empire was the report Tfilaifclng -to the leoansltdituit i aim! status of its component ipairts. That report, which was presented to the- Imperial Conference, of 192 G, i!s admitted to have been largely the work of Lord Balfour, and it has been described as the Magna Chafta of Commonwealth liberties. It was the first authoritative record of the change in status of the. Dominions, effected by the- war, and it will, undoubtedly, be one of the historic documents of these tiimies. At the ago of four-score years he still holds office-, is- still a force in the councils of hi© party and the deliberations of the House of Lords, and keeps -in close touch with very many phases of scientific advancement ' and philosophic thought. Many great men have differed from Lord Balfour in jnlalttc-rs of party politics, but not one hials failed to recognise in this -staunch Conservative 'statesman a groat -mind applied to the service of -the State.