EMPIRE AFFAIRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 75

EMPIRE AFFAIRS.

MR S. M. BRUCE INTERVIEWED. , AUCKLAND, January 31. there is unmistakable evidence of greater knowledge of the Empire and all it means among the people of England than was tho- case when I was ’in England three years ago,” said Mr S. M. Bruce, Prime Minister of Australia, when ho arrived by the Niagara from Vancouver en route to Sydney. Mr Bruce, who was a prominent figure at the recent Imperial Conference, said there was every indication of a bigger Empire sense among the people of the Home Country, and a wider realisation of what the Empire meant to 'Great Britain than was apparent at the time oi the last conference. Mr Bruce saw in this greater possibilities for the future in the direction of closer unity and co-operation between the peoples of the various parts of the Empire, and said that the question of communications was one that had an important bearing on the problem. In the first place, it was necessary to bring the outlying sections of the Empire closer together by cutting down the times taken in journeying over the longer sea routes. He said. it was recognised at the conference that it was necessary to shorten the time taken on these voyages, especially from Great Britain to Australia and New Zealand. Several schemes had been examined, but this matter was now being further considered. The setablishment of air routes to give rapid communication between these southern countries and England was another point touched on by Mr Bruce. He was particularly interested in the proposal to inaugurate an airship service and said that the building of two hugh airships in England was the beginning of an Empire service that had immense possibilities. He expressed the opinion that within the next 10 years the lighter than air' craft would be successfully operating over vast areas, but he was not so sure that in the ships now under construction they had yet reached that point. He was, however, hopeful that the scheme would be so developed that it would be possible to make the journey by air from England to Australia in from 10 to 11 days. Mr Bruce mentioned that the Air Ministry was sending experts to Canada and South Africa to investigate and report on the erection of mooring masts as stations for Empire airships, and Australia, while not undertaking to erect -such a mast at an estimated cost of about £70,000, hajd agreed that these experts should.also visit Australia to inspect the possible sites for an airship base and advise the Commonwealth Government. Mr Bruce also said that he found that Britain’s position in regard to overseas trade was very much better than on his previous visit. This was due mainly to a realisation on the part of those controlling industry that they really had to do something if England were going to maintain her position. There had formerly been a feeling that.conditions would right themselves, but the fallacy of this view had now been recognised, and, with greater attention, to the needs and problems of the wider markets, there was every prospect of a brighter future for England’s export trade. One of the most significant indications of the greater effort now being made was the recent combine of several large chemical concerns with a capital of about £6,000,000. That was surely a sign that they recognised the need for doing something to hold their own against outside competition.