The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1911. NOTABLE SPEECHES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 124, 18 July 1911, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1911. NOTABLE SPEECHES.

There have been many notable gatherings in England during the past cwo months in honour of the overseas Premiers and Parliamentarians, of which but a very brief summary has been attempted by the cable agent. One of the most notable of these gatherings was a luncheon to the Dominion Premiers at the Eighty Club, which was attended by eight hundred distinguished personages, the chair being occupied by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr LloydGoorge). During the evening some brilliant speeches were made, the chairman in particular being unusually eloquent. He commenced by stating that the gathering was not a party demonstration. Thcv were sometimes apprehensive that words used in the heat of a party controversy and cabled across the seas by agencies which are none too friendly to Liberalism, misled their brethren across the seas as to the real warmth and affection with which Liberalism regarded the free communities which are their brethren. The conferring of self-government upon groat communities in the Empire was the greatest of all acheivements of Liberalism. Statesmen in the past had faced obloquy and ruin to achieve this end, and they saw with pride how the dominions had grown ■ in strength, as well as how the attachment to the Motherland grew firmer, generation by generation, conference by conference. Nor was the Old Country done uith yet. The country which had founded the greatest Empire the world had ever scon meant to prove that it could also rid itself of the social evils which undermine its strength and dim its lustre. {More long r the Prime Ministers would'come to the Old Country to represent their scores of millions. The Dominions may outgrow Britain in strength and population, power and position, but never in affection. “There are shrines in Britain they can never forget. ft is the land of Shakespeare, of Milton, of Burns; it is the land where generations of men and women dared to light for the freedom of the soul. And, however they may grow, whatever their pride, .

power, influence, these) things will draw them to the Old Country with increasing attraction and increasing , affection. Until ivo shall one lav he indeed one people, mighty, cue in purpose, one in ideas, one in devotion to the service of God and man/’ Mr Lloyd-Gcorge was repeatedly cheered during his speech, dir Joseph Ward, who was also in rood form, had something to say of uterest, and said it to the accompaniment of much cheering. In con■luding ho stated that he heartily mdorsed the ideals and high sontinonts expressed l>y Mr Lloyd-George, iml that he would go hack to Now Zealand invigorated for political rork: to give knocks and to take ■hoin. Another speaker was Geniral Botha, and his remarks are vorthy of reproduction in full. Speak-

ing in Dutch, with the aid of an interpreter, ho said: “When I last spoke to tlie assembled members of the Eighty Club I said that wo i:i South Africa would prove that wo wore worthy of the confidence and trust imposed in us. Only four years have elapsed since then, am. to-day I am here not to represent

only the Trausva.d,.but tie. ('.".mu ol South Africa. Hero I desire to express one word of deep regret that our friend the late Sir Henry Camp-boll-Earm -nnar is not alive to-d.xy to see the fuht of his policy. His policy was the policy of a far-seeing statesman ; it was the policy of healing wounds, the policy of unity.’ f say that the policy which he carried cut in South Africa stands out beyond that of any statesman during the century. All we ask for is time, and that we should be left

alone. We will show you what wonders we can do. I feel confident that so long as the British people follow a policy of confidence in the various Dominions, and of allowing local government and liberty, so long will the Empire continue to grow and increase in importance. There is only one message I have to bring, and that is tue offer of the hand rf brotherhood and of love.” Needless to say such sentiments as these were loudly die wed.