BONDS OF EMPIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26780, 25 May 1948, Page 4

BONDS OF EMPIRE

IMMIGRATION ON LARGE SCALE GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S VIEW P.A. AUCKLAND, May 24. Britain’s trusteeship of nations had been a very costly affair, and more attention should now be devoted to the dominions that had a large percentage of the British race, said the Governor-General, Sir Bernard Freyberg, speaking at the Royal Empire Society’s Day dinner. He stressed the need'for £k larger population to strengthen the Empire and advocated large-scale migration from Britain to Empire .countries in order to bring Britain's population to an economic level. His Excellency said that most people felt a little nervous at the time of the Versailles Treaty, when the selfdetermination of small nations was agreed to. Although it was still main--tained that it was desired to preserve a permanent union between the various parts of .the Empire and the Mother Country, a slightly different point of view had to be taken.

“We do not want to waste our substance and our time in bringing forward backward nations if they take the first opportunity to, vote themselves out of the Empire.” he said. “We should devote most of our time and money to the self-governing dominions which t have a large percentage of the British race. We are undoubtedly going through a lean period, and our difficulties are the direct result of 1940 and 1941, when we, as an Empire, stood alone against the full force of the Axis, and by our actions saved civilisation and the world.

“We have had hard times before, and we will rise superior to them.” said his Excellency. “Temporarily, v, e have ceased to lead the world, at least financially. We may still lead it spiritually, and I like to think that we do. We want to examine the future, in the light of what has happened in the past. “In enlarging the world, no nation can afford to remain stationary. This is a world of large nations —the United States with 150.000.000 and Russia with a many times larger population. I have come to the conclusion that we must increase the British race or we must accept our inferior position permanently. When one examines the financial situation we seem to have committed errors over a period of years. The trusteeship of the nations has been a very costly affair." His Excellency said that according to newspaper reports, Palestine had cost £100.000.000. When Egypt and Burma were added, it showed that it had been a costly experience. He had no doubt at the same time that furthering the interests of backward nations had been the right idea, but the situation had changed. The trusteeship was over and plans must be made for the future. That meant a great increase in the size of the British race. The Old Country had 50.000,000 people and he. did not think she could support any more. The food position was causing sleepless nights, and he noticed in a lot of economic papers that it was doubted whether England could maintain a population of 50.000,000 permanently. He felt that immigration on a really large scale would promote a permanent union between the Empire and the Mother Country. A strong flow of good settlers would achieve the object better than any other way one could suggest.*