CANADA AND THE EMPIRE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XIII, Issue XVIII, 5 August 1912, Page 5

CANADA AND THE EMPIRE

THE QUESTION OF RECIPROCITY

MR BONAR LAW AND MR BORDEN

XX CABLE—PBESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT LONDON, Aug. 3. Mr Bonar Law, speaking at the Carlton Club and proposing the toast of the "Canadian Guests," said that the Motherland and her guests shared the -Defence Committee's deliberations. They .were well aware that the situation was serious, but the pressure from without would tend to weld the parts of the Empire closer. Germany's growth during the last generation in population, wealth and power, contrasted with that of the United Kingdom, showed that if they had relied on the resources of these islands alone the time would soon come when it -would be impossible to bear the burden of supremacy, which was necessary to their national existence. But the Empire contained far greater resources than any other. There must be cooperation within the Empire, both in war time and in peace. Therefore the Unionists advocated Imperial preference. That, unfortunately, was a party question in the Motherland, but was .not so in Canada and in the other •self-governing colonies and dominions. Every Prime Minister in those dominions represented all parties at the conference. He urged the Motherland to adopt the principle of enabling one portion of the Empire to treat other portions on better terms than the rest of the world. The bulk of the people of the Motherland looked for the Imperial Parliament to share the responsibility and glory of the government of the Empire. That time was «ot far distant. Mr Borden, responding, said that 4he Dominions were prepared to share the work of securely binding the Empire and thus preserving a great force <in the cause of humanity, justice and peace throughout the world. The Canadians were jealous of their own fiscal independence. They did not pre--sume to interfere and make suggestions of domestic or fiscal concern in any part of the Empire, but, subject to that qualification, they always held to sin ideal of commercial co-operation in all parts of the Empire. His colleagues and himself hoped shortly to announce the result of their deliberations, making for the strengthening of the Empire and the advancement of Mr Bonar Law's great ideal of organisation.