COLONIAL STATESMEN IN LONDON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 April 1907, Page 3

COLONIAL STATESMEN IN LONDON.

'-„:. Tp-ilay' s Cables v itfjarab Pbbss Association.— Copx- ■--.-■■ 7 EiaHTj YTM MERCH-LNTS' BANQUET. SPEECH BY/ THE FEDERAL '.''-. "'7'7Y; '^PREMIER/ -.'■' y Xiu^jEßi^yrbEALs. > iT-SETPIffiFERENCis ISSUE. ■ffteceiveclC April 15; 7.28 a.m.) ■■' , ;-y-y-'y £■; Y -LONDON, Sunday. ■ AtC the ' Merchants' banquet, Lord " JerseyC proposed;' the United Empire, the name of Mr Deakin, C.Cbmyonwealth; ; Premier, whose lofty idkals and honoured "career, he said, *ere 7tophfe7th6.Empire!s ti-easures. MraDeakigiC.who had an enthusiastic repept ionJCdeclared that. Mr Chamberyr lain s lo^sCihrTiniperial politics was' felt • at th6 t Cfflctremities of the. Empire. The first "/and ;' greatest means of • attaining » Ui^d ; E_ripir<> 7was 7 co-operation for mutual /defence, "which". "-Was on an unsatigfactory basis.'at present. . The me- • CthodßjdnjCfliiE. ciwonies' -at "present were incomplete "dvnhg. to -'the C'.-fact that the 7 communities were hardly .strong enough .:- toT^shmejjt.fiUl share: of the burdens . - and 7 respohsihili ties' which nndoubtedly . '.. they Cvwoiild claihi hereafter. . ]__teanwhile'thepy required some -voice if they .•-»ha_^.presponsibUitfe_i,;of:' action. The Ctinejigalled i. visible Y;and ' untouched p ; jainewil :resources;.of Australia offered "".".W* ,_K)SBibilities,; "Avith a fruitful y ;;&£yy^?'liooedi ;a. stream of vigorous YJRnt^b^Ceriiigration " -would be diverted 7- Cte 7Anst&lia;-> : " He; was unable to understand : those who despised trade as /a" / means of C'piniting the CEinpire. He ein-7 ■;- phatically denied that' "Australians ret. garded preferencee as -an ingenious, de- ;■- vice to Benefit' themselves', with all the advantages' .on one side.; A .-'; Such" a 1 'Mhemp/-wqri^ made:] ;_• a business proposition ioi • mutual _pref erY^Ms^or^mutiiarCatfyahtige.; If the :,7;.'M-aUie^nd'^C.m^de-eil%7;.^__ie. .proposal' ;7-vi»l!i9lw;.;;;A-str_i__ would 'be the last . . %:7preM.its;.'acceptanM. YHe failed rtib pildergtandL. Britain's attitude of timid-■YHy/and:-;fear of what other', nations Mvoold .think. _ Australia .proposed pre-. y- ference to British goods, ships arid -Men. She did_ not intend to come as .'-, •*'. suppliant soliciting some concessions /fo^her.p weakness, or needs. He hoped Y'** 8 - ;*%l?tion of an ImperialC policy ! >r -would remove the Motherland's present attitude of -despondency, "hesitancy, .and I i/«ncertainty. Mr Deakin said : 'JWhat Y^.e -have, 'let us hold/ for we can hold Yit; by ota- own people." 7 7--.'YvfS* rF: . Cockbnnr proposed the "toast ■of "British and -Australian trade." ' rSir' WmYLyrie, Federal Minister of . Trade 7ari4 Customs, replied.. He said .^it'was-iiecessary to quicken British in-' ..terest, in. the. Australian Commonwealth, '.'; which. wat^ppwehtly' little thought' of There. p_._Many seemeav.n'otto want Aus- . tralian- Jwade, but the C Australian Premier? hoped to C induce Britain to take the products of British people instead 7 those of:. foreigners,' "'Australians were /.abler tp 'supply- 7 their-, products more "cheaply than they/could;- be obtained' .- elsewhere 'if Britain .would take them.