NEW ZEALAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22629, 22 July 1935, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND

BRITISH IGNORANCE OF CONDITIONS POSSIBILITY OF ULTIMATE SEPARATION (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, July 19. " I endorse Mr Forbes's regret that the members of the British Cabinet lack personal knowledge of the dominions. Their ignorance is,no more marked than concerning New Zealand," said Lord Bledisloe, speaking at the Empire Society's Summer School. Yet the Empire's future rested predominantly in their hands. If their knowledge was second-hand and scanty, the British proletariat and the members of the House of Commons were still more ignorant, seriously threatening ultimate dominion separation.

Lord Bledisloe paid tribute to New Zealand, a country of Nature's gentlefolk socially, and almost ideally democratic. The average standard of education was very high, and the reading of books and newspapers was more widespread than elsewhere in the Empire. Even the poorest were generally well-in-formed of the nation's arid world affairs. Courtesy and good manners were universal. There was very little swearing and drunkenness, and a shabbily-dressed person was seldom seen.