THE "ALL RED" ROUTE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13368, 19 August 1907, Page 6

THE "ALL RED" ROUTE.

SPEECH BY SIR W. LAURIER

At the Canadian Dominion Day. banquet in London on July Ist, Sir Wilfrid Laurier made somj interesting references to the piopcved "All-Hed" mail service between New Zealand and England Via Canada. It was not sufficient, Mir Wiifi'id raid, that Canada should have railways giving transcontinental transportation. iliey must also have sea transportation, and he put it to them that the next- step to which they would have to adapt themisel vos, and to devote their enterpri&d was not Canadian enterprise'; it must ba an "All-Bed" line between Canada, England' and Australia. This was a truly Imperial scheme. The time must- come when it would be said, in the City of London, as it had been said in the Imperial Conference some few weeks ago—as it should be repeated in Canada, in Australia.- and in New Zealand —that the time had come when an "All-Red" line, an all-British lint, limit encircle the earth. For that scheme he was sure the Canadian people wero ready, he was sure the people of Australia were ready, and the people of New Zealand were ready; and he asked hin»?lf : Were the people of England ready for the scheme?

It was nor for liimnor for any of tlieni, ho added, to undertake to dictate, or even to suggest, much less to insist-, what should be the policy of the British people on a. question of this bind. It was for the people of the British Isles to determine for themselves what they would do. But would it be out- of place were he to remind the Britiisli people that only five, years ago th-s British Parliament undertook heavy fiuaucial responsibilities to assist a line plying between Great Britain—not to . a Lritisli country—but to a foreign country, between Liverpool and New-"York? He web .not there to blame that policy. On the contrary, he said without hesitation, that were he an Englishman, he would approve any policy which would make the present relations with the United States closer than they were. But might lie not ask the British people and the British Pearliament that what had been done for foreigners could ba done also for British people? For his part, liejiad nothing but feelings of admiration for the American country and people. They were kith and kin of Great Britain ; but tlity' did not lly the British flag, and if the British people put their hands in their pockets to assist a line. of wtt amers plying bitw-esn Great Britain and a, country which did not fly the British flag, then lie asked : Why should they hesitate to give better communication between England and a country which boasted of the British flag?