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Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1926, Page 2

Tub British Parliamentary party now on the water cn route to the Oversea Dominions should enjoy an interesting and informative mission, which is to learn more about and understand something of the problems of the British Empire. The wisest of our statesmen would shrink horn at tempting to define the constitution of the British Empire, and perhaps that fact is one of the highest proofs they could give of their wisdom, hut there are certain broad principles that can ho laid down. Lord Balfour, than whom none can sneak with higher authority. enunciated in the House of Lords one broad base of the relations between Great Britain and the Dominions. “None of us can be above the others.” he said. “One may be closer to the centre of 'international complications, but all are on equality. That is the essence of the British Empire.” There is one thing that is essential to the preservation of perfect equality of union, and that is complete mutual comprehension. There exists to-day, we are all happy to believe throughout the Empire a common desire for understanding, because all its component parts realise that not only the fulfilment of high ideals but actually their own existence depends upon it. But much remains to he done to translate this desire into the fact accomplished. That is a' reason why the coming visit of British Parliamentarians to Australia will he more than welcomed, says a Sydney scribe. Mr Amory has said that the gathering in Australia will be the real Imperial Conference, and. while we are all aware that it will he able to accomplish nothing beyond the exchange of views and the sowing of sentiment, these are things which in the end may prove of greater value to the Empire than the official conference which will meet a little later in London to deal with practical and immediately policies. That these policies will he valuable need not be doubted, but the one great bond wfiioh alone can bold us together will ho a true sense of kinship.