PROBLEMS OF EMPIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19753, 28 September 1927, Page 12

PROBLEMS OF EMPIRE.

BRFTAIN AND DOMINIONS. ONE ESSENTIAL TO OTHER. The inter-dependence of Britain and the overseas Dominions was emphasised by Sir Henry Cowan, a member of the House of Commons, in addressing the members of the Wellington branch of the English Speaking Union at the end of last week. "You are very essential to us, and when 1 say that 1 mean also that we are equally essential to you,*' said Sir Henry. "You cannot live unless you have the command of the seas. Vou are as dependent on the seas as we are, but you have not the power to command the seas. You depend on the British Empire. You have been very generous. You have given a battleship to the British Navy; and we recognise and appreciate your generosity, but the broad fact is that New Zealand would not be secure for a single day were it not for the British Navy. "You want population. We want less population. Surely we can come together on that basis. You have the resources of the Empire. You produce the arterial we want, but you can't develop your resources to any large extent without man-power. We have the man-power ■ n abundance, and we want to co-operate with you. "I don't know that the pec-pie m this part, of the world realise the tremendous danger in which they stand through having so much empty land. Look at the great empty lands of Australia. Look at the teeming population of Asia. I am not going to say that any nation is going to swoop down on you, bat I will say that were it not for the British Navy you would never have been allowed tp hold these lands. It is in your c*n interests to absorb, within the shortest possible time, as many settlers from the British Empire as you can." The speaker added: —"If we perish, it w2i be because we fail to extend and provide for ourselves. 1 don't believe the League of Nations ;s in its infancy. It has not been tried. It may do all the greart things expected of it—and I hope • j tv-ill—hut at present it is not a successful means of protection for the peace of the world. We must Jock to the strength of our own arms. We must maintain the British Navy and be prepared to meet my attack, and we must stand together in*order to maintain the great ideals of the English Speaking Union."