FUTURE OF THE EMPIRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20190, 30 August 1927, Page 10

FUTURE OF THE EMPIRE.

BELIEF IN ITS GREATNESS. CANADA’S PART. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, August 29. Belief in the greatness and future of the Empire was affirmed by Mr W. O. Noxon, Agent-general in London for Ontario at a luncheon at iic New Zealand Club to-day. Mr Noxon said he believed that we possessed the men', the territory, ! and the ability to achieve greater development and prosperity than wo had ever before enjoyed. Preference between the different parts of the Empire to encourage the labour of our own people was what was needed. It was difficult, but ho thought this could be done. This would need capital, some of which would come from the Government, but the greater part of it should come from private enterprise. We had helped to build up almost every other country in the world. We had given our money and genius to building one of the greatest competitive nations in the odd. In future we should help to builu our own. The growth of the United States had been astonishing in the last 80 years, continued Mr Noxon. She had added 85,000,000 to her population, and at the same time had produced a higher standard of production and living than any other country, but had she in that time added one single atom of security to personal liberty, life, or property? Had she added anything to the faith of other countries in her commercial and criminal justice? Canada’s trade with the United States was 50 per cent, of her total world trade, and Canada owed her something at the year’s end. He would like to see his countrymen buy less from the United States, sell her more, and buy more from one another. Canada’s total trade was an indication of her prosperity, but she had had great social and moral success. Canada led the world in newsprint and nickel. She was second in motor cars, telephones, and lumber, and third in silver, and if the province of Ontario continued at its present rate she would soon be second in that. She was seventh in iron and steel, and tenth in gold. She was fourth in in-and-out trade, and stood first in per capita trade. Before the war England had had three or four times more capital invested in Canada that the United States. Now it was estimated that both countries had a more or less equal amount. Naturally the United States was a wonderful magnet to the Canadian youth, but legislation had been passed providing that any Canadian who became an American citizen could regain his Canadian nationality after one year’s residence instead of five, and so Canada was getting them back gradually. Naturally the proximity of the countries was having its 'effect. Whether they liked it or not, Canadians were growing more like Americans every day. Inter-marriage was helping. Labour, interests in common were growing, and even their ecclesiastical and educational, interests interlocked. The motor tourist traffic was terrific. In July, when the Canadian holidays had been arranged to fit in with the American festivity of July 4, he had known from 3000 to 5000 American motor cars to be banked up waiting to cross the' Canadian border. Ontario spent £20,000 per annum advertising in the United States her good roads and scenery, and it was estimated that in one year tourists had left £15,000,000 in that province alone While all this was going on he did not know any group in either country who were in favour of annexation.* It would be fatal to any politician who mentioned it. Though there had been times when Americans had found it difficult to um’erstand why Canada had remained part of the British Empire, there had never been any suggestion that she should abandon it. British fears in this regard had been due to a wrong conception of Canada’s aspirations and American hopes, and had been based on ignorance of Canada’s history and lack of appreciation of her pride in her racial traditions and blood.