IMPERIAL PREFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19529, 11 July 1925, Page 11

IMPERIAL PREFERENCE

CONSOLIDATION OF EMPIRE. SPEECH BY AIR CHURCHILL. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, July '9. (Received July 10, at 7.20 p.m.) A group of members of the House of Commons who wore either born in or association with the dominions tendered a luncheon to Mr Winston-Churchill (Chancellor of tho Exchequer) in recognition of tho passage of preference. Sir Newton Moore, who presided, emphasised that tho building- up of Empire trade meant mutual safety. Mr Churcluil, replying, said it must have had a chilling effect if Parliament had failed to endorse the unanimous decision of the Imperial Conference. It would entitle the people of tho dominions to ask —Why attend such a conference? Personally, he believed there were groat possibilities of consolidation and mutual helpfulness within the 'Empire. He was confident that irrespective of any Pirotoool, Pact, or paper arrangement the people of the Empire would develop a greater spirit of’ inter-dependence and co-opera-tion, and stand together in a time of stress. He was satisfied that their cooperation would only bo enlisted in a just cause. The gathering decided to form a nucleus of a group to watch events from the standpoint of Empire development.—A. and N.Z. Cable.