THE DAY OF THE SOUTH.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1883, 31 March 1913, Page 7

THE DAY OF THE SOUTH.

Sir Chas. P. Lucas, at the Working Men's College: "One section of the community has beaten the big drum and bragged about the British Empire in a rather vulgar way, and there is another section that has made light of the Empire as a sort

of reaction against the other side. But I am glad to say there is another section growing np that takes a proper view of the British Empire, regarding it as a great and responsible inheritance from our forefathers, and striving, so far as England goes, to leave it a little letter than they found it. The British Empire may be said to be two Empires in one; there is the Empire where we rule and one where we reproduce ami breed. The connecting link of both is the Crown, and I am afraid the great mass of the people do not fully appreciate how important are the person and the voice of the King. A striking feature of the present day in connection witli our Empire is the rise of the South For the first time in history the South is going to have its day. This is due to the elimination of distance. The diversity of the Empire, I am inclined to think, will in the long run make for its unity, and certainly for its greatness. In the old days, distance was the great enemy of the Empire, but at tne present period we are going far towards annihilating distance. The result of science is that we are getting spontaneity instead of spasmodic action. The engineer, the inventor, and the doctor have done and are doing more for the Empire than have our best fighters."