EMPIRE PROBLEMS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 40, 1 February 1932, Page 11

EMPIRE PROBLEMS

PUZZLES FOR STATESMEN WHERE BRITAIN SCORES. IMPORTANCE OF SOLIDARITY. Speaking at the opening of the Victoria League’s new rooms in Auckland, His Excellency, the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, said he knew of no organisation in the Dominion more energetic or self-sacrificing than the Auckland branch of the league. He offered the congratulations of himself

and Lady Bledisloe. His Excellency made a very encouraging speech in which he expressed his faith in the character of the British people to bring the Empire triumphantly through its trials. Referring to the Statute of Westminster, he said he was convinced that the passing of that measure would in no way affect the continuing attachment of this loyal Dominion to the Homeland. In fact, with the severance of political ties, he believed the economic and social ties would be materially strengthened. He would like to see New Zealand very materially develop its sense of nationality, while in no way severing itself from the British Commonwealth of Nations. It was the administration of the Dominion, according to the splendid traditions of the Old Land, that was going to make New Zealand a very great nation in days to come, and always keep alive that spirit of patriotism and loyalty of which she boasted as pre-eminently her own. BRITISH (COMMON SENSE. His Excellency went on to refer to the fact that at the present time problems were being set before statesmen such as they had never before been asked to solve, and regarding which there was no precedent to guide them. How were these problems to be solved? He believed there were certain British characteristics which would enable the statesmen of the Empire to solve those problems more easily than they would be solved by other nations. These characteristics were a shrewd common sense, resourcefulness in time of trouble, a spirit of optimism based, he believed, on faith in a Higher Powed than themselves, and an innate love of hard work.

At the same time his Excellency reminded his hearers that no nation could pull its own weight and realise its ideals unless it was in an economic sense prosperous. How were they to regain prosperity? Only by making the Empire the economic unit of all trade and industry throughout it. He was certain that after the Economic Conference at Ottawa they would all come to the conclusion that British industry and trade must be the concern of every subject of the King in no matter what part of the Empire they might be. They could not afford to remain in watertight compartments o’ to pull in a lonely furrow. They would have to pull in double, triple and quadruple harness with those of other parts of the Empire. His Excellency said he did not think it was otside the functions of the Victoria League to do anything within its power to promote Empire trade. In New Zealand 94 per cent, of the industrial output was based on the land and of that production over 70 per cent, went to the Old Country, which, therefore, was New Zealand’s best customer. They could therefore do their best for the Old Country without injustice to their own industries. If they wanted to promote brotherly love and world-wide civilisation, it was most important that they should establish solidarity among themselves as Britishers. One thought he wished to leave with them was that, at a very important crisis in the affairs of the Empire, solidarity among all classes and interests —agricultural, industrial and trade —was the very essence of internal and external peace, and of the carrying out of the objects for which the league was formed.