The Daily News THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1926. CONCEPTION OF EMPIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1926, Page 8

The Daily News THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1926. CONCEPTION OF EMPIRE

Whatever curiosity may have existed as to the nature of General Hertzog’s reception on his return to South Africa, and as to the manner in which he would reconcile his pre-conference views with those which resulted from the deliberations on which the Premiers of the units of the Empire were engaged, has now been set at rest. The enthusiastic 'welcome accorded to him at Capetown must have conveyed convincing testimony, not only to the approval of the part he played at this Empire assembly, but also an indication that he had worthily upheld the interests of the Dominion over which he presides and that he had reached even a higher plane as a statesman than as a warrior. General Hertzog set out for his journey to London as the representative of South Africa at the Conference as a pronounced anti-imperialist. He returned a staunch supporter of the Empire, and he virtually admitted that his conversion was due to the fact that he had previously misconceived the true Imperial ideal, and that when a clear and definite enunciation of Empire unity was elaborated he found that the bogey of dominance melted into thin air. That is a fair summary of his recantation. What he actually said was:—

“All my life I have been a constant antagonist of Imperialism, and certainly a very lukewarm worshipper of the Empire. No wonder I could never consent to a State organism being imposed as a super-State authority above the Sovereign will of any Dominion. That was how Empire was represented to them in the past.” General Hertzog would have been more accurate if he had said: “That was how we, in South Africa, understood what the Empire meant in the past,” for in none of the other Dominions was the question of Empire relations so misconstrued. That General Hertzog was profoundly impressed by the proceedings and decisions of the Conference is beyond all question, and his avowal that “no longer had he any fear of Empire Conferences” emphasises the value of these gatherings, not only in dispelling misconceptions, but in consolidating and strengthening the ties which unite the Commonwealth of British nations under one Sovereign head. The' results of the Conference, the General asserted, were due, not to any individual Premier or delegate, but to the work of the united Empire, with the spirit of the whole Empire behind it —eloquent endorsement of the basic principle of unity. It was a happy inspiration, as well as a good augury for the future of his people as a nation, that General Hertzog impressed upon the people of his country that “they stood there as men who had come into their inheritance in the fullest and most complete manner, not a Boer or Briton, not as a Nationalist or South African Party, but as sons of South Africa.” There could be no more apt illustration of the system on which the Empire rests—sonship of the units and brotherhood of the united component parts; the Empire as a family, each member living its own life, but always ready to uphold the family interests and ensure its honour, prestige and safety. There was really no need for General Hertzog to deny that his new conception of the Empire meant its possible disruption, but, on the contrary, maintained the only way in which the continuance of the Empire could be assured. It would be contrary to all reason to expect such a vast and complicated organisation, such as that which constitutes the British Empire, to hold together by means of rigid fastenings. Not only must the ties be flexible enough to permit of adjustments from time to time, but there must be constantly in evidence the same spirit of the whole Empire which enabled the recent Conference to achieve unanimity and enhance the goodwill of all the sons of the nations constituting Greater Britain. No higher tribute could be paid to the achievements of the representatives of the Empire than the assertion of General Hertzog that the Conference had secured the goodwill and co-operation of the peoples of the Empire as never before. There is in the General’s speech at Capetown much material for reflection, not only as to Empire affairs, but also concerning the relations between the various sections composing each community, especially as to the removal of misconceptions and composing divergent views. Where there is a will to arrive at a satisfactory result, it is only necessary to create the right atmosphere and to evoke the spirit of mutual good will in order to achieve success.

PROTECTION OF ANIMALS. While it can be claimed for the average New Zealander that he is essentially a lover of dumb animals and abhors anything which may savour of cruelty tothat a means has been found of ending organised supervision of animal welfare. The mere fact that such supervision exists is a deterrent to those individuals who are inclined to bo harsh to or neglectful of the livestock which may be in their charge, and this in itself is a good thing. The work of the society, for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the annual report of which was published yesterday’, is also of value in showing stock owners methods in which increased comfort can be afforded the lower animals, very often with no increase in the cost of their upkeep. It shows stockowners also the methods by which discomfort, and sometimes suffering, which is quite unwittingly inflicted may bt avoided. Now that the registration of veterinary practitioners has become law, there should be considerably less pain inflicted upon livestock either by well meaning amateurs or by quacks. That public opinion throughout the Dominion is behind such societies in their work for dumb animals was evidenced by the success of the “animal welfare week” wmeh was held in Dunedin during the year. The work of the society is not spectacular, and it usefulness is therefore sometimes overloked. The band of enthusiasts who are responsible for keeping alive the local society have the advantage of knowing, however, that if their work does not appear to appeal to a very wide public, they are doing excellent work for the community in that they are making it clear, where such is necessary, that livestock are a responsibility as well as a means of livelihood to those to whom they belong.