EMPIRE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17322, 23 May 1918, Page 3

EMPIRE DAY

CELEBRATION IN DUNEDIN. Tho opportune propositi to establish a Ked Cross Military Hospital in tho city, where tho sick and suffering soldiers who return from activo service abroad will bo cared for, is weil assured of hearty and widespread support. Tho unique entertainment given to assist this fund was, however, only moderately patronised. Tho programme was organised by tho Dunediu branch of tho .Overseas Club, and those responsible for its carrying out are desorvins of credit. ISotable unumg those is Mrs Xando l<or S iison and Mr J, iv. Maciie (hon. secretary). v iho hret item on the programme was ail address by Mr W. C. MacCregor, K.C., his subject being -'Tho Spirit of Empire." th.. w-. U ° L^ S °it address ho staten that u 1/ ' vvnh ;ul lw horrors, had brought Isew Zealand into closer touch with the rest of the Empire. It had gone far, indeed, to transform our Empire itself r u °; U \£ cr ? h £uro of .speech into a vital Y l , WJS , Imperialism? Tho dictionaiy told us that it denoted "the suirit n' v ni i!' lrU J i lit tho s P iri t of what KmTii&ih j!o L us . th "l could be but one —trie vvh.M, • r 1 " ] P, f'°^ li 1 ,at world-wide State ■Much included within its bounds one-fifth ot tho land surface and one-fourth of tho population of the world we lived in. Prior August 4, 1914, Bernhardi and his school had dared to prophesy that on the outDreaic ot a European war, in which Great Britain became involved, the colonies and ncha would at once break away from the S I '"n «-u WJlat 11 • doiusion that had proved, \\hat a disappointment to the ran-Uorman prophets of hate! Tho very opposite had happened, all around our farnung Empire. How were we, he asked, to explain the unparalleled outburst of devotion displayed by the dominions and by India in thus pouring forth their men and their money for tho defence of a nebulous empire? It was not enough to say that this was due to a sentiment of gratitude towards Great Britain for having protected them with her navy and axmy for so many years in their defenceless youth. Nor did it cover tho whole ground to suggest that we now felt that we all were lighting for our own existence, as well as to help Britain and her Allies. Apart from these weighty reasons, had it not now bccome clear that it was argely the spirit of Empire itself that had prompted us,to devote our blood and our treasure to this world conflict boan , d tyranny—between the forces of good and evil? The spirit of Empire was nothing more, and nothing less, than the deep-seated sentiment that existed in lavour of preserving the unity of the British Empire! That, he believed, was to day the strongest and deepest political instinct in the hearts of tho vast majority of British people throughout the world. It T! OU S- uTn, e of Phonal attachment to the British Throne, and to that world-wide commonwealth that had been founded and held together for us by the enterprise and self-sMufico of our fathers. Speaking for himself he was a Scot by birth and training, and a New Zealander by adoption and S S JTt n °% if ü bo a 1 a " d »k°v6 V . beyond all he felt that he was a subject of the British Crown! Ho felt ho , to be entitled to all the rights and subject to all tho duties of Cl - t]z ® n .- " s be should have been had he remained in Scotland. But this illuminative war had shown us, among other things, t glanders were not now Anrl fu the fu " r,shts of British citizens. J 3 Reason was equally clear. We did Tho !!' i i=° tlle corresponding duties. „ f pe °P le " ow exercising the rights of f wero the inhabitants ot the Lnited Kingdom, because they alone wero bearing the full burdens of our Em\A y* • resideuts of the British Mes could vote in respect of war or peace for the wholo Empire: they alone had for many years been bearing the burden of tho El® °? val and military defence of the Empire they alone had the privilege and 'b'hty of controlling India and the sreat dependencies. We dwellers in the dominions m tho past had not shared m the responsibilities of Empire, and theretore m, o had no part in the privileges of Lmpire. Lntil we assumed our part of the bin den, wo could not expcct to share in f.V'fkT' at' pr^en , t it; wa s a deplorable fact that we New Zealanders had no share in the foreign policy of the Imperial Government, that controlled our own fate in peace and war, and at the same time guided the destinies of one-quarter of mankind! Alter the war was over, he stated, this anomalous state of things could not bo allowed to continue. Wo must transform the spirit of Empire" into tho substance of Empire It was intolerable that we should much longer remain dependent on the policy and tho armaments of the British isles alone. We must claim some control m the shaping of tho foreign policy of our Empire, and thus for tho first time obtain a say in the declaration of war, and the making of peace, on behalf of this dominion as an integral part of that Empire. To do this we must havo a central Imperial Executive, responsible to the Empire as a whole a ?d not as . at present merely to the voters of the united Kingdom 1 But if we were to share in the foreign policy of the Empire we must be prepared to pay our proportion o. cost the naval and mil-tary force on which that policy was based. If we were to have representation in tho Imperial Government, we must expect to hear the corresponding taxation. The problem of the futuro Was how we are to achieve that great result, how wo were, in effect, to transform a voluntary league of British nations into a firm organic union. This crowning result could be attained only through tho living force of the Imperial idea, the larger patriotism—in fact, that very "spirit of Empire" that so far had inspired us to do our national duty throughout this war of nations. ° Iho musical part of the programme opened with a selection by the band of the £ourth (Otago) Regiment, under Lieutenant fc>. b. George. The Idlers' Quartette contrinn <> " :Vla y T"no J ' and "I Long for Thee ; Mrs Johnston-Toplis gave " Angels Guard Thee" (violin obbli'gato by °Dr Appleby); Mrs Crofton Umbers contributed a humorous sketch; Mr S. G. Angeii sail" tt i Ceat, bless Army"; and Mesu;:mcs It! Hudson and Wakefield Holmes rendered " I Know a Bank." The instrumental items ( cello) wero contributed by Mr Trevor de Clive Lowe. Tho wholo of the performers had to respond to undeniable encores. Two readings from Shakespeare were o-iven One scene from " Tho Taming o? the Shrew,' m which Mr S. H. Osborn took the part of Petruchio, and Mrs R. Hudson that of Katherine; and tho scenes from Macbeth," in which- Mr J. Fleming took the part of Macbeth, Mrs Wakefield Holmes Lady Macbeth, Mr 0. P. Williams Doctor, and Miss A. R. Stubbs Lady-in-waiting. All these performers were loudly applauded. Miss Ruby Harraway and Mr Bernard Kitchen played the accompaniments. The whole of tho second part of the programme was devoted to an original and impressive pageant of historic women, which was produced in aid of the Nurses' Memorial Fund some weeks ago. The pageant included—Cleopatra (Miss Shrimpton), Boadicoa (Miss Sanderson), Alcestis (Miss Lee), Quoon Phillipa (Miss Wilkinson), Lady Godiva (Miss Lorna Dick), Joan of Arc (Miss Harilon), Queen Elizabeth (Miss J. King), Mary Queen of Scots (Miss Park), Mario Antoinette (Mrs Neil), Madam Roland (Mrs Parks), Flora Macdonald (Miss Macintosh), Elizabeth Fry (Miss Sfnitli). Queen Victoria (Miss Sidey), Florence Nightingale (Mrs Davis). Spirit of tho Past (Mrs Statham), Spirit of tho Future (Miss Alexander), Spirit of tho Present (Miss Roberts). The costuming was on an elaborate scale, and tho audience were not slow to show their appreciation of the beautiful effects, and the elocutionary efforts of those taking part. Appropriate incidental music from tho wings was supplied by Mrs Mason and Dr Appleby.