EMPIRE UNITY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 239, 27 September 1930, Page 5

EMPIRE UNITY

THE FAMILY SPIRIT BENEFITS OF PERSONAL CONTACT. MR SCULLIN’S PRESS STATEMENT. (British Official Wireleei.l (Received 27, 12.30 p.m.) Rugby, September 26. On reaching England to take part in tho Imperial Conference, which begins next Wednesday, and which is expected to last a month or six weeks, a statement on the problems confronting tha Conference has been made to tho press by tho Australian Prime Minister, the Hon. J. H. Scullin, and tho New Zealand Prime Minister, the Hou. G. W. Forbes. Mr Scullin, referring to the benefit of personal contact between members ol the family of tho British Commonwealth of Nations, recalled that Australia, in common with other countries had felt the effects of the world-wide trade depression. He proceeded: “Not only have we been laced with the necessity of redressing tlie trade balance, but also of finding sufficient moneys in London to meet our regularly recurring interest and other charges, amounting to more than £3O,WJO,U(JO annually. There has been no questioning of our ability to pay this money, although payment under the new conditions of lowered world prices will impose a heavy burden upon us for the time being, but 1 sincerefy hope that no more will be heard of the suggestions that we are not prepared to meet our obligations. There never was any doubt about this matter. •

IRRESPONSIBLE TALK. “The holders of Commonwealth bonds may rest assured that we are a solvent nation, and they need have no fear about our honouring our commitments. They should take no serious notice of irresponsible talk about repudiation. They represent the view of so small a majority of Australians as to be nearly negligible; they carry no weight whatever. An overwhelming majority of Australians regard the national debt as their personal debt, and they are as jealous of tho national honour as of their own.” WORK OF CONFERENCE. Referring to. the work of the Conference, Mr Scullin anticipated that the most important work would lie in economic and constitutional spheres. Full equality of status between the Dominions and Great Britain was to-day explicitly and definitely recognised. The people of Australia desired to maintain the strength of the ties of friendship that bind the great Commonwealth family together and at the same time to ensure them elasticity. They hoped that discussions regarding the economic situation would go beyond the creation of consultative machinery and would lead to direct stimulation of joint Imperial resources and trade. SOCIAL FUNCTIONS. As on the occasion of the last Conference. naval, military and Air Force displays are being organised to take place during the next few weeks, at which the overseas delegates to the Imperial Conference will attend. The War Office display will bo held at Aidershot, and the Air Force display at Croydon. The delegates will travel to Portland to view the naval exercises which are being arranged by the Admiralty. Many banquets will be given in honour of the delegates. Among many others, they include a Government dinner and reception, at which the Rt. Hon. J. Ramsay Macdonald will preside, at Lancaster House on September 30th. On the following night the Royal Empire Society, the British Empire League, the Victoria League, the Overseas League, and the British Empire Club are giving a dinner for the delegates at Mansion House, at which Prince Arthur of Connaught will be in the chair. On October 3rd. tho Prime Ministers, with other Ministers and their wives, will be the guests of Their Majesties tho King and Queen at Buckingham Palace. The Prince of Wales will be present, and he will also attend a’ dinner and reception given by the Empire Marketing Board on October 8. i MR FORBES’S VIEWS. TRIBUTE TO LORD BLEDISLOE. (Received 27, 11.15 a.m.j London, September 26. The Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes told he had chatted for ten minutes with tho Rt. Hon. J. Ramsay MacDonald in the forenoon. He had heard Mr MacDonald in New Zaland in 1906, and formed the opinion that he was one of the most eloquent protagonists of Empire unity. He paid tribute to the Rt. Hon. Philip Snowden, who was the only member of the Government whom he had met personally in New Zealand. New Zealand was interested in constitutional problems involved in the 1926 Conference decisions but was not prepared to formulate anything inconsistent with the most fervent devotion to Imperial unity. He proposed to co-operate with Dr. Marsden in the development of scientific research, which had had most profitable results in New Zealand.

He paid an enthusiastic tribute to Lord Bledisloe as tho most understand ing Governor on farming problems. Questioned with regard to secession, Mi' Forbes emphatically declared that tho word was absolutely unknown in New Zealand, which was indissolubly attached to the Empire. Mr Forbes visited the Hon. J. H. Thomas, also Sir Edward Harding, then in the afternoon he held an intimate discussion with Sir Thomas Wilford on New Zealand affairs.