BRITISH COMMONWEALTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18552, 9 November 1923, Page 9

BRITISH COMMONWEALTH.

UNITY BASED ON FREEDOM 1 .

MORE INTERCOURSE URGED.

TOURS FOR STATESMEN.

By Telegraph—Press Association— A. and N.Z. LONDON. Nov. 7. The Prince of Wa'«s was present at a dinner given by the Overseas League to the Prime Ministers of the Dominions. Proposing the torst of " The Dominions and India," lie declared that General Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa, was certainly not overstating the case when in an eloquent speech he said that in the British Commonwealth we possessed the greatest institution ever -devised by man. The nature of the constitution of the Empire could not be +00 often emphasised. The Empire consisted of independent sister States. By the genius of many statesmen and the sound instincts of the people, two opposites, co-operation and independence, were dovetailed together. The Prince of Wales proceeded to urge the desirability of encouraging the spirit of travel in statesmen and journalists, all of wliom were distributors of ideas and information. To the people of Britain it was a sign of the times to see the increasing number of students and teachers from overseas who visited and sometimes resided in- Britain. His Royal Highness recalled many happy days and' wonderful experiences of the past four years in various parte of the Empire, which were always a help. He was looking to find future journeys of equal interest. Mr. S. M. Bruce, Prime Minister of Australia, pointed out that the Dominion Prime Ministers came to London to discuss Empire problems. He asked how many statesmen in Britain visited the Dominions to learn colonial problems first hand. The Maharajah of A! war declared that affection and love for the Crown was the greatest cementing factor in the Empire of which India was a proud part. He believed the Prince's visit to India during the transition stage brought home the idea of Empire. #