EMPIRE LANDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22498, 15 August 1936, Page 20

EMPIRE LANDS

KNOWLEDGE NEEDED SIR JAMES PARR'S VIEWS REBUKE IN LIGHTER VEIN [from our own correspondent] LONDON, Jully 25 A mild rebuke was given to British educationists and newspapers by Sir James Parr, High Commissioner for New Zealand, recently when he addressed the British and North American Luncheon Club. He said that even with Britain's system of education and its remarkable newspapers not very much was known about New Zealand. Ho considered, therefore, that some Empire geography was badly needed. Supporting his assertion in a humorous manner Sir James mentioned that during the luncheon one of the members had asked him whether Geelong, which was in Australia, was in New Zealand. But that, said Sir James, amid laughter, was not nearly so bad as an occasion in Yorkshire when a Mayor had introduced him as a "very distinguished statesman from Australia." " And," he added, amid renewed laughter, "1 had conn to talk about New Zealand butter." Exports and Scenery Sir James decisively routed any lingering idea in members' minds that New Zealand was just "hanging on" to Australia. He drew attention to her huge exports to Britain, the attractions offered by the Dominion in the way of scenery and sport, particularly fishing, and said that it was New Zealand's earnest desire to get closer to Great Britain in the matter of trade, which was the best -cement in the world for keeping the British Empire together. People had asked him at Geneva when he attended the meeting of the League of Nations, and also in Britain, what kept the British Empire from drifting apart. They had the impression that since the Dominions had demanded the Statute of Westminster, they were for all practical purposes independent countries, in the same way as France and Germany. It was suggested that political union was no longer there and that the only tie remaining was that of Kingship. During the past 25 years, however, that tie had been a tremendous link, a tremendous invisible force. The late King George had been a great man who had played a great part in the holding of the Empire together. Growing Closer Together

. Sir James said he had noticed that while political ties were departing—although New Zealand had not desired the Westminister Statute, and still refused to adhere to many of its important features —during the last year or two tlio British Empire was growing closer together. The Dominion High Commissioners were consulted almost every day by the United Kingdom Government upon affairs of Europe and the world, and a marvellous degree of concentration now existed between Great Britain and the nations of the Commonwealth.

But what he had observed more than at any time before, in things apart from the political union, was an increasing regard for those things of the mind, the' spirit and the soul, which were the things that really counted.

The very troubled and disturbing international situation of recent times had served to bring the Dominions and the Motherland into closer union, which was very desirable. Britain, although she made some mistakes, was still in her heart the home of democracy, cherished by her subjects. It was those things of the spirit that were bringing the Empire closer together, notwithstanding its apparent dissolution by virtue of the Statute of Westminster.