THE GROWTH OF IMPERIALISM

Southland Times, Issue 17608, 24 March 1914, Page 7

THE GROWTH OF IMPERIALISM

PAHIJAM KXT.MIV K.MPIiIK TOFU. M.l’.'s I.MPIH-:SSK).\3. (From Oiir Special < 'orrespond en t). HOXDON, February C. We are all more or less imperialists in tlie Oid Country nowadays. There can at any rate be no doubt that imperial sentiment. interest in the problems of Empire, and a sense of real kinship and unity with the people of the King's dominions overseas has been growing up steadily among the people who matter — not only among "Hie classes," hut among the workers—in the .Motherland. Our newspapers are certainly paying much greater attention to-day than ever before to matters affecting t lie outlying portions of the Umpire, and especially to the social and political problems that are being worked out in the self-governing dominions. It certainly cannot lie urged against the leading British newspapers to-day that they—to use the old reproach "ignore the "oionies." ‘The great London and I To vi ncia 1 journals, indeed, are giving very considerable space to news concerning the dominions, to comment thereon, and In special articles dealing with their legislation, their productions, their progress in various directions, and to phases of life in the far corners of the Kmpire. Even in those quarters where years ago the idea of imeprial Federation was looked upon with distrust and suspicion if not actual hostility, flip spirit of the times lias worked great changes. Alinisters like l.onl Haldane and Air Samuel, who recently paiil visits to Canada, are certainly disposed to approach the problems of Umpire in a vastly different spirit from that displayed by most of the Liberal leaders of fifteen or twenty years -ago. and Lord Eimnott, Fnder Secretary of State, for the Colonies, lias recently urges! emphatically the necessity for bringing to hear on those problems the qualities of sympathy and imagination, and for cultivating the knowledge which is essential to the working out of wise solutions. Happily, some progress is being made in this direction. There is no doubt that the visit to Australia of the Empire Parliamentary Association party was a great success. At the meeting of the imperial Mission last Monday two of the party, Mr Amery and Mr Edgar Jones, gave interesting accounts of tlie impressions made on them by what they had seen and heard. Mr Amery spoke of tlie importance of the personal relationship which lie and Ins colleagues had been able to establish between themselves and tlie members of other Parliaments of tlie Empire a relationship which lie insisted was essential if the public, men in Hie different units of the Kmpire are to realise each other’s problems and difficulties and to appreciate each other’s point of view. Air Edgar Jones laid stress on the vast resources of the Dominions, and on the need for supplying these young countries witli tlie population and capital required for their development. This development. lie pointed out. means greater strength and prosperity not only to them but also to tlie whole Empire. Both speakers bore testimony to the strength of national feeling in the dominions. and insisted that the growth of this feeling is an element not of weakness but of strength to the Empire, and. in differing language, held that as local patriotism and pride grow they stimulate the sentiment of loyalty towards tlie wider fellowship that embraces each and all. Tlie nations of the Empire were' and would remain separate units In

many ways, but units in a larger unity. Thus, while the people of Australia anti New Zealand were developing their own systems of defence they were creating fresh centres of strength for the whole Kmpire, and. incidentally, setting an inspiring example to some of their partners, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA. In the course of his address. Mr Amery remarked that we could not build up the Empire on the idea that the people of this country occupied a position of permanent supremacy. All were equal in responsibilities as well as rights. Imperial unity was not a matter for statesmen only' ; it offered work for the rank and file. One impression which he brought away from the recent tour was that the Kmpire Parliamentary Association, to which it was due. had thoroughly justified its existence. He and his colleagues came Into personal relations witli members of other Parliaments of the Kmpire, and consequently had learned to understand their differences. which were not always the same as our own, and look at tilings from their point of view. The capacity to do so was absolutely necessary to closer Imperial union. There was an idea on this side of the ocean that Australia was a monotonous country, but his companions and lie were impressed with the fact that the idea was entirely mistaken. and still more with ttic fact that Australia was a country in which one would he glad to make a home. So far as atmosphere and not distance was concerned, Melbourne was much nearer to London than Edinburgh or Glasgow was. Another tiling that impressed him was the greatness of Australian possibilities. The whole mind of the Canadian seemed to be constantly bent on the development of Canada, and the Australian, though he had been making great strides of late, wanted a little more of that feeling. Australians were more interested in the regulation of social and political relations, subjects which Canada regarded as of secondary importance. Ho was sure, however, that the leeling so strongly marked in Canada would develop in Australia more Ilian at present. But Australia and New Zealand showed a most impressive spirit in facing the responsibilities of national defence. Australians fell the tremendous importance of their military value, but also because of their effect on the social and moral welfare of the people. Whatever some newspapers in the 1 nited Kingdom might say, he hardly met. during the whole time he was in Australia, a single person who was not heartily in favour of their system of military training. Indeed, the contention in Australia was now over the question which parly had done the most to introduce their military system and make it most efficient. ••THINKING IN CONTINKNTH." Mr Kdgar .iones, M.P., speaking of the educational effect of a visit to the dominions. said that British people had not vet got into the way of thinking in continents and could hardly realise the vast areas of unbounded wealth in the dominions waiting for capital, population, and development. He had been asked during his lour why leisured Knglish people who were in the habit of going to Switzerland. Norway, or Egypt, did not visit Canada. Australia, and New Zealand. Another question was "\N liy cannot we get enough capital to develop our country 7" and his opinion was that too much capital could not be poured into the dominions. There might be a temporary set-back now and then, but it could not lie permanent. Capital in the dominions meant greater prosperity tor them and us. and a multiplication ot contented homes. But. what the dominions wanted even more than capital was more people, especially those of the British stock. He had talked to workingmen over the seas, and had not found a single croaker among them. He was glad that the word colonies was being dropped, because it represented communities which had a life as completely developed as our own. The dominions were nations, not mere appendages of the X'nited Kingdom : they were proud of the fact, and the feeling was all for the good of the Kmpire. They wore sons of the great British family, jealous of the connection, quick to resent aspersions on 11 1 e family name, and to defend the family honour, and their pulses beat in rlivthm with the Imperial pulse, set going in these islands by centuries of heroic endeavour.