PATRIOTISM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 301, 13 May 1913, Page 6

PATRIOTISM.

LOCAL AND IMPERIAL. BRITISH SPEAKER'S PLEA. London, May 1. The Empire Parliamentary Association has accepted the Federal Government's invitation to send a party to Australia, the resolution being carried on the motion of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Mr. James Lowther, seconded by the ex-leader of the Opposition, Mr. A. J. Balfour. The Speaker said that he hoped that those who were fortunate enough to visit Australia, would bring back with them an increased love of and regard for the Empire, and also take with them to Australia a proof of the continued goodwill, understanding, sympathy and affection felt by the Mother Country towards the overseas dominions, which it was the object of the Association to promote. They were, lie continued, always glad to be able to assist in the granting of certain privileges to overseas legislators who visited Westminster, and were, he might add, somewhat ashamed that considering, the privileges and advantages vouchsafed to members of the House of Commons b,y the overseas legislatures, they at home could do so little. But the dwellings in the newer lands were more* spacious than the dwellings in the Old Land, and though there was a limit in space there was no limit in the will that they felt they had to meet the wishes and demands of their colleagues from abroad. The desire of those who made the trip would be to acquaint themselves with the conditons and feelings of those who were carrying on the Imperial work in those far-distant regions. There was the possibility that in the very fact that those regions were far-distant local patriotism was likely to overshadow Imperial patriotism. It was the aim of statesmen of the preseht period of the world's history to see that local patriotism was not allowed to drown the larger patriotism. It was not an easy task, concluded Mr. 1 Lowther. The great elements of human nature struggled against it, but it should be their business to see that nothing was allowed to interfere with the growth of the wider ideals of patriotic feeling. Mr. Balfour said there was no more striking testimony to the value of the Empire Parliamentary Association than the invitation that they had received in England from their brothers in Australia.

"It is necessary," he continued, "for us so to organise ourselves as to make our brothers overseas feel what is an absolute fact, that we welcome their desire for our presence as shoving every sign of hospitality. "It is impossible to over-estimate the importance of becoming personally acquainted with the conditions and feelings of those who are working Imperially in far distant parts of the Empire." Mr, Bonar Law, Leader of the Opposition, remarked that it was frequently a cause for complaint on the part of the people in Australia and Canada that the members of the House of Commons took very little trouble to become acquainted with the conditions of the outside parts of the Empire. "I think," he proceeded, "that that is no longer true. At no time has there been more interest or more desire felt for the unity of the Empire as a whole than there is to-day. Everyone, like myself, when visiting the dominions, has been struck by the unbounded kindness and hospitality invariably received, though there is such a stream of life in London that while 1 we have always had a strong desire to show similar kindness it has always been difficult to give effect to our wishes."