SPEECH BY LORD MILNER.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8300, 3 June 1907, Page 6

SPEECH BY LORD MILNER.

(By Electric Telecraph—Copyright.) (Per Tress Association.! LONDON. June 1.

Lord Milner, at a Unionist demonstration at York, acknowledged Earl Grey's and Mr Morley's wise firmhgss in Epi.vpt and India, but "th© radical forces had diverted their full force to South Africa, which was a lightning conductor for their mischievous activities. He quoted Mr Smuts, showing the Transvaal's grave material depression. Lord Milner declared that the alarming decline was due to reckless electoral agitation in Britain destroying confidence. While he recognised the sincerity oi General Botha's speeches, he contended that we had transferred the Transvaal to a purely racial party and laid the foundations of Dutch ascendancy, and from Capetown to Limpopo the Briton, at any raxo temporarily, was the under dog. Commenting cn the Colonial Conference, he said preference must now be argued as a living principle which would give an immediate impetus t<> exports to the colonies whose inhabitants per hea,d were vastly our best customers. Preference by encouraging colonial production and population would multiply those customers, and our emigration would be directed to British lands instead of running to waste all over the world, thus upbuilding the Empire and our man power needed for defence and unity.