Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1926 DOLEFUL AND UNJUSTIFIED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 12 October 1926, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1926 DOLEFUL AND UNJUSTIFIED

THE doleful lor.-boding,; of the French press as to the future of the British Empire need not be taken very seriously. The French have not been on Hit; whole very successful in colonization. As their salesman-philosopher Turgot said, their "colonies were like fruits which dropped off when ripe." but it does not follow thai the British colonies will follow suit. It is true that France lost Canada, and that Britain lost her American colonies, hut it must be remembered that since that happened the means of intercommunication have been improved so immeasurably that to-day Britain's most distant Dominion has a better knowledge of what is happening from day to day in London, the, heart of the. Empire, than York and Edinburgh had a century ago. The consequence is that there is existing to-day a better understanding between Britain and her dependencies than was possible in the 18(h century.

The Premiers of the Dominions have not gone to London with the intention or altering the relationship which exists between their respective countries and the British Crown, neither have they been given any power by their Parliaments to do so. Tf is a fact that the commitments contained in the Locarno Pact (which. Britain, on the advice of her Foreign Secretary, signed without consulting them) laid' the Dominions open to certain risks, if by reason of that, Pact Britain became involved In a European war. But since then the Pact has been largely superseded by Germany's inclusion in the League, nt Nations, which is now the guarantor of peace between France and Germany. So that the question of the Dominions' international status is not of such importance as it was a few months ago. All talk of the impending disruption of the British Empire, such as is indulged in by tbe Parisian press, emanates from mischievous writers who have no first-hand knowledge of the British Dominions. They do not realise, that before such a serious step as secession could be so much as contemplated by any individual Dominion, it would hr necessary for the people of that Dominion to be consulted, and thai any Premier who at the Imperial Conference advocated secession would certainly be called to account by the electors of his Dominion on his return home. The Dominion of New Zealand thotoughly endorses Mr .1. 0. Coates's expressions of loyalty to the Crown and the Empire. There is no movement in Australia to sever the British connection. We do not believe there is any serious movement of such a nature in Canada. General Hertzog disclaims any intention of advocating the secession of South Africa. Why! Because any definite pronouncement by him and his Government in favour of secession would not only break up the Coalition nf which ho is head, but would probably creale civil war. There remain to be considered India and the Irish Free State, neither of which could repudiate allegiance to the Crown unless ready to face war with Britain and the loyalists of the Dominions. Neither of them is desirous to provoke such a war. Twice during the last three decades the loyally of the Dominions has been tested: in 1899 when President Kruger invaded Natal and Cape Colony, and in 1914 when Britain was endangered by the Germans' invasion of Belgium find France. On both occasions the Domin inns demonstrated in the most remarkable manner their attachment to the Mother Country. There is nothing to show that that attachment has weakened. We believe the people of the Dominions are as loyal to-day as they have ever hern, and that the result of the Imperial Conference will be the strengthening of that loyally, because (hp work- which will engage the altention of the Premiers assembled will not only tend to improve I licit* mutual good underslanding, but. will advance greatly the practical interests of the Empire, and of all its component parts.