EMPIRE UNITY ESSENTIAL

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1930, Page 9

EMPIRE UNITY ESSENTIAL

APPEAL BY LLOYD GEORGE INDEPENDENT CO-OPERATION PRESSMEN APPLAUD IDEAL By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 12.5 a.m. London, June 5. With his mane of white hair smoothly brushed back and speaking quietly and restrainedly, Mr. David Lloyd George opened his address at the Press ■Conference to-day with a review of the effect of the war on Empire relations The determining factor in the war was the British Empire, he said. There were one or two corners of the war he still shuddered to remember. With, the Empire all in it was the nearest thing'. The Dominions sent millions of the finest men who ever fought. When the Dominion Premiers were called to the War Cabinet it meant a revolutionary change in the constitution of the Empire. After counting with the fingers of one hand the Powers represented at the Great War Conference at Versailles, at which the Dominions were present, Mr. Lloyd George said: “I forget what other Powers were represented. The Dominions were there as independent nations, not merely as members of the British Empire. “They did not toddle into the conference like babes led by a nurse, but as young men in the full panoply of war. They had won the right to be there. Objections were raised but M. Clemenceau and Mr. Woodrow Wilson fully- admitted tho claim, though Mr. Wilson got into trouble about it afterwards. . ■

“This is the first chapter of the story of tho Empire. The development of the second must be written by the Empire itself., The world depends on the way in which this story is written. I must walk warily—the safe way is to keep to high ground, to the principle of avoiding details; descent to the plain of particulars generally has ended in disaster —I will keep the middle course.” Encouraged by cheers Mr. Lloyd George said his caution proved he.was. not a politician. The next step after equality was effective unity. If unity had not been made as effective as equality already had been made, the Empire would not remain, it would dissolve, it, could not remain stagnant. They must weld, all the nations of the ..Empire into a commonwealth of free, equal and independent nations. If the Empire failed to realise this it would be one of the greatest lost opportunities in history the world would suffer.

"The centre of the Empire must be strengthened. Britain would puli through the present troubles, but was the heaviest sleeper, like all men of sound constitutions, and must be wakened.

Britain could bear the burden; the Empire must also share it. There was the Indian problem. ‘ There was Egypt, the gateway to Australia and New Zealand and India. Even the small island, Malta, had volcanic possibilities; some cinders had been dropped in Downing Street by the Vatican. There always was the insistent problem of Britain’s daily bread. He hoped the Imperial Conference would not shrink from discussing freely all questions of Empire freedom, said Mr. Lloyd George. Independence was so recently attained by some Dominions that they cherished, even cuddled, this reason for caution, not inaction. The Dominions were powerful standing alone, united their possibilities were beyond his vision, as partners in a commonwealth of free nations they would be incomparably greater. Mr. Lloyd George ended amidst an outburst of cheering. Questions were invited, but none was asked. Mr. L. R. MacLeod, South Africa, said what the Empire wanted was another Lloyd George. size as the worst standard of greatness. Sir Augusto Bartolo, Malta, described Where would Tasmania or Britain be judged by size? It was unfortunate Malta could attract attention only by staging an eruption. Mr. Hugh Savage, Canada, said two cursed words were doing vast harm to the Empire: One was America, and the other Australasia. The United States was not America. He would leave the word Australasia to the consideration of New Zealanders and Australians.