THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22257, 9 May 1934, Page 4

THE BRITISH EMPIRE

ITS POSITION TO-DAY PROBLEMS TO BE FACED. There was a fair attendance at the social hall of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers' Association last night when Major J, C. Findlater, acting commandant of the Legion of Frontiersmen in New Zealand, delivered an interesting address on "The British Empire: Its Growth and Problems." Lieutenant-colonel G, R. Mitchell, officer commanding the Dunedin troop of the legion, occupied the chair. Major Findlater prefaced his address with a brief summary on how the Empire came into being. The word Empire, he said, was responsible for such misunderstanding, as to many it implied military domination, despotic rule, and aggression. This was not true. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand belonged to the British Empire, and nowhere else in the world were liberty and government for the people more fully developed. The speaker went on to say that the problems of the individual became the problems of the Empire. The latter could be considered as a body, while the dominions and colonies could be termed the arteries feeding it. Of the outposts of the Empire, India was the one which raised the largest problem. He went on to deal with the Indian question, with particular reference to the respective rights of the Indian and white subjects. China's boycott on Japanese goods had forced Japan to seek other markets, and this country's expanding trade to India had caused a serious decrease in Britain's trade with India. This opened up a delicate and difficult problem. In regard to Egypt, it was not easy to forecast the future. Cairo was the Gibraltar of the air and the key to an important air trade route. . The existing concessions were held on lease, and there was no guarantee of future concessions.

Dealing with sea trade,. Major Findlater showed that SO per cent, of this passed over the Atlantic. America upheld the Monroe Doctrine, originally formulated in 1823, and wanted no interference from other nations, nor was she interested in European 'politics. The United States was trying to secure the world's gold, and was meeting with a fair measure of success. There was not the slightest doubt that America's influence in the Far East was becoming paramount. The position to-day showed that the balance of trade had been broken down in the past few years. The United States had the Monroe Doctrine for the Atlantic and Japan wanted the same thing for the Pacific. The question of the ever-increasing population in certain parts of the world was also becoming a matter of vital concern. Many industrial and commercial problems confronted the nations of the world to-day, the speaker continued. Among these were the problem of the Pacific, the problem of population, the securing of international co-operation, the utilisation of the tropics and the future of world trade. Historians maintained that the Atlantic phase of world history was giving way to a Pacific outlook, and that on the shores of the Pacific there would be decided, either in pence or war, the next great struggle of civilisation. This meant the peaceful or forceful populating of the Pacific snores by the yellow races or the white, or a mingling of both. Major Findlater dealt fully with the problem of disarmament, with particular reference to the naval strength of Britain in comparison with that of other countries. In 1914 Britain, he said, had 124 crui&crß to protect the trade routes and these were not really sufficent. To-day there were only 52, and

in 1936 the number would be reduced to 3G. The reduction to-day was 47 per cent. The United States had increased her naval strength by 29 per cent., Japan by 37 per cent., and Italy by 20 per cent. The personnel of the British navy in 1914 was 146,000 men, and to-day it was reduced to 91,000, while the United States had made an increase from 67,000 to 109,000 and Japan from 50,000 to 88;000. These figures epoke for themselves. Major Findlater invited the members of the audience to ask questions on the subjects he had covered, and this opportunity was taken by several of those present. At the conclusion, on the motion of Mr Keith Ramsay, a vote of thanks was accorded the speaker.