AT THE EMPIRE'S HEART

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18170, 16 August 1922, Page 11

AT THE EMPIRE'S HEART

DOMINION REPRESENTATIVES

THEIR MULTIPLE DUTIES.

SIR J. ALLEN'S EXPERIENCE. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] LONDON. June 29. Members of the British Empire League entertained the five High Commissioners at a dinner in the British Empire Club" last night. The Duke of Devonshire, president of the league, was in the chair, and besides the principal guests there were present: The Duke of Somerset, the Earl of Stafford, Lord Blyth, Lord Sydenham, Lord Desborough, Lord Ampthill, Lord Southborough; the Hon. L. S. Amery, M.P., and Viscount Astor.

The Duke of Devonshire, proposing the health of the principal guests, said to-day the High Commissioners of the various self-governing Dominions were taking an active and important part in the complex machinery which created our great Empire. He was the« last person in the world to be cynical or sarcastic, but he confessed that even 10 months' residence in the Old Country had not destroyed the optimism founded on nearly five years is Canada. One of the striking experiences he had in Canada was the visit of the Prince of Wales. He knew that Canadians were not particularly responsive; but he was made to realise from the genuine welcome given to the Prince that that visit was not merely a tour, but a triumphal progress from beginning to end. His Grace referred to the great work of the secretary of the British Empire League, Mr. Freeman Murray, and said he had been surprised and disappointed that there had been no public recognition of services that gentleman had rendered. He was glad, however, that some suitable form of testimonial was to be given by the members of the league-

' The Great Fundamentals. • Sir Joseph Cook (Australia) referred to the Canadian cattle embargo. Differences of view, he said, were bound to occur from day to day, but thank heaven we were wise enough, sane, and big enough to remember that these were only incidents in the stream of our Empire flow, and that beneath all were the great fundamentals which held the Empire together. Sir Edgar Walton (South Agrica) said they should not depend too much upon the racial bond, because there were racial difficulties within the Empire. Sir William Meyer (India) said the ties of blood did not exist in the case of India, and our hope of keeping India must lie in the tie of common interest. "I do not know," said Sir James Allen, "whether the members of the British Empire League really realise how valuable such meetings as these are to. the representatives of the Dominions. The position of High Commissioner is :i, very difficult one to fulfil, especially as we have no definite scheme> of duties, and we do need the sympathy of the British public. I am glad to hear an expression of that sympathy from the league and from thoae whr- by experience and inquiry have learned to know what the Dominions and what the Empire mean."

Wide Range of Duties. •No one, continued the* High Commissioner, had realised more than he had, after two years, the difficulties of his office. He had had to settle the differences between husbands and wives, and he had helped in settling international differences. Their duties covered a wide range, and they came to their office without specific knowledge of the objects they had to achieve as High Commissioners, Since the office had been established in liOndon it had gone through a process of evolution, and that evolution was .still going on. What the final recults would l>e, what the final results of the British Constitution would be, nobody knew, and nobody wanted to know. It would gradually grow, as it had in the past, with British pluck and British experience behind. In the case of Sir George Perley, the late High Commissioner for Canada, they had had a Minister of the Crown actin~ as Dominion representative in London. He would not predict that the development of the office would be along th»t line.

It did not matter very much so long as the High Commissioner had the support of his country, so long as he had the valuable sympathy and support of the British people, who knew the difficulties and also the possibilities of the position. They had responsibilities which brought them in contact with their own Governments, and consequently were in the best position to influence those matters here which sometimes went in a direction which was not acceptable to the" Dominions. The High Commissioner's duty was first to his own country—the country as a whole, and not anv particular party or section of it. Next, to stand for those rights, so far as he could, for those ideals and aspirations which belonged to every Parliament and Goveixment of the Empire, and while he was here to do his best to unify the Motherland and the Dominion which he haoV the honour to represent. Any organisation which stood for the defence of tho Empire stood for the progress of the F.mpire in times of peace. these times of peace we are doing our little bit t 0 help the Mother Country in its trials. I trust we may all he successful."