FLAME IN THE ORIENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18381, 23 April 1923, Page 9

FLAME IN THE ORIENT.

HOW IT WAS CHECKED.

DOMINIONS' ANSWER TO CALL.

A brief reference to world' affairs was made "by the Hon. A. M. Myers in the course of a speech at the gathering of Old Thames Boys at the Town Hall on Saturday, evening. In alluding to the crisis in the Near East, he said that he had been assured in London that "he spontaneous response to the call for men bv Australia and New Zealand last year hid a more important bearing on the situation than most .people thought, and was responsible for checking the flame which, starting in the' East, might have spread over the whole world. This consultation of the Dominions, said Mr. Myers, reflected credit on the authorities, who recounised.that when the Empire was 'at "war the Dominions were at war. He hoped that it would not again be necessarv to go to war. but if the time came he was sure New, Zealand would play her part as she had done in the recent war, j but we must be prepared. (Applause.) Mr. Myers said he 1 believed that the j Irish question was now practically dead, ! and with better relations existing in Ire- ' land we were going to 'draw closer to- one United States other great English- j speaking nation. While the Irish ques- : tion was uppermost, nothing could be done in this direction. He had always j been in favour of Home Rule, and he be- j lieved that the only' practicable way of j settling the question had been adopted. After referring to the downfall of Mr. I Llovd Georze, to whom the Empire owed much for his great leadership, Mr. Myers sa:d that under Mr. Bonar Law England now had stable government, and he had belief in the capacity of the Prime Minister to successfully guide the ship of State. His survey of the field of European politics led "him to the view that ■within the next few months more peaceful conditions would exist in Europe than had prevailed since 1914.