EMPIRE UNITY

Southland Times, Issue 20615, 13 October 1928, Page 7

EMPIRE UNITY

CANADA’S ATTITUDE SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER CROWN AND GOVERNMENT (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) Rugby, October 11. The Prime Minister of Canada. Mr Mackenzie King, in a speech at the Canada Club dinner, referred to representation within and without the Empire of the Crown and of the Government. The Governor-General was now regarded both in Britain and in Canada as the personal representative of the King. He was no longer in any way the representative in Canada of the Government of Great Britain, and the distinction had been made apparent by the appointment to Canada within the last few’ months of Sir William Clarke as the representative of his Majesty’s Government in Great Britain. From their point of view this distinction between Crown and Government was as separate and distinct and could not work for other than good. What they had most at heart was the maintenance of Britain’s institutions at their best, above all of their permanency. Under separate representation of the Crown and Government should differences of any kind between the Governments unfortunately arise there would be no possibility of the Crown being involved. As to the representation in England of the Government of Canada it was now generally recognized that the position of High Commissioner possessed a diplomatic as well as a business character; that the High Commissioner represented the Government of Canada in its many relations with the Government and acted in reference thereto upon instructions of the Government of Canada, the confidence of which he possessed to the full. The opening of the Canadian Legation at Washington was little more than an act of form al approval of the course which had become the accepted practice, namely, that of Canadian Ministers dealing direct or through their own specially appointed representatives with the Government of the United States on matters of mutual interest and concern. He thought it had become generally recognized to-day that the opening of the Canadian Legation at Washington had strengthened the British position in that capital; that in no particular had it imperilled British unity, but that rather it had made for British solidarity. He had just come from witnessing the opening of the Canadian Legation in Paris, the establishment of which, as in Washington .was but the last of the logical steps which had marked the full attainment of self-government by Canada. With respect to Canadian interests, whether domestic or external, what was uppermost in his mind in the establishment of such legations was the desire to gain advantage in internal negotiations and diplomatic standing and status for representatives of Canada’s interests in the United States and France, and to provide a means of more effective consultation and co-operation between the British and Canadian Governments on matters in the United States and in France which were to them of common interest and concern.—British Official Wireless.