The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1938. Mr MacDonalds Speech

Northern Advocate, 15 December 1938, Page 8

The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST”

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1938. Mr MacDonalds Speech

Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper

MR MALCOLM MACDONALD has drawn immediate criticism from the “Daily Mail” lor daring to acknowledge openly’ that there is a spirit of nationalism at work among the British Dominions. Surely it cannot be seriously suggested, however, that any great harm has been done by a frank allusion to facts which should be in the full possession of any well-informed person. British possessions are scattered round the globe. Every one of them has been peopled at least in part by colonists of British stock, who retained and passed on to their descendants a strong loyalty and affection for the Mother Country. Yet, as the years march on, and new generations arise, other influences naturally and necessarily affect the outlook of the colonial peoples, (It does not follow that these are unhealthy influences. It is merely that they express the character and the environment of the new British offshoot. Even in New Zealand, although loyal* citizens of the Empire and proud of the fact; that no Dominion, probably, has. as tine a record of kinship and loyalty, we should be false to our own country and our surroundings if we sedulously tried to ape England in everything instead of developing, to a certain degree, a character, speech and culture of our own. This, perhaps, is one expression of nationalistic spirit, but in it there is nothing objectionable. and certainly nothing in any sense disloyal to the Mother Country and to the flag that unites the whole Empire. It is when nationalism runs strongly in channels which lead it away from our old traditional loyalties that it becomes dangerous according to British ideas. But the fact that such movements have occurred is undeniable. It is simply a matter of historic -record, and there appears no real justification for any censure of Mr MacDonald for recognising the existence of such tendencies. South Africa, in particular, is a country where nationalism is highly developed, and where, furthermore, the majority of the people are not of British descent. Sixty per cent, of the people of the Union of South Africa trace their descent to Dutch and Huguenot families. Many, of them have intermarried with British families, and.the increasing use of Afrikaans tends to increase the Dutch influence. The bulk of the South African Dutch, although strongly nationalistic,, prefer their present allegiance, but a section led by Dr. Malan openly advocate secession from the Empire. Canada, too, has its racial problems, and the French language still predominates in the eastern areas. Canada, on the whole, however, is strongly loyal to the Empire. Except in the case of South Africa, India and Ireland, there is no real danger of complete separation. The.remaining units of the Empire will agree wholeheartedly with Mr MacDonald that, quite apart from the strong bonds of sentiment, membership in the British Commonwealth of Nations carries important practical advantages.