EMPIRE PRESS.

Timaru Herald, Issue 170270, 15 July 1920, Page 7

EMPIRE PRESS.

DELEGATES TO CONFERENCE.

COMPLIMENTED IN- LONDON.

IBy Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and aN.Z. Cable Assn. lleceived 5.5 p.m.; July 14tii LONDON, July 13 i., -°™ J) urnliam guvu a June-neon at the Savoy to.proTnvu.ro l!:iu.-li lcurmthsts wno are Ucii>.j.ices tc rho "i>.npire Press Union Conference in Canada, m order to welcome overseas delegates to the Coiuerence. Anion"them were Messrs Horton and Sill? (of New Zealand), Lovekin, Langta* Jeffrey, Lansell, and Kirwan. Lord Burnham, in welcoming the recalled the services t'jat the 1909 Conference had rendered to the Empire, and trusted that the results of the 1920 Conference would Ic no less valuable. Mr Kirwan, in responding, said it was due to the 1909 Conference tiiat journalists got a full understanding of the Empire, wmcii had proved so vitally important during the war. . Mr Selig recalled New Zealand's service during the war in raising an army to help to fight the Empire's battles. The visit of New Zealand delegates in 1909 had had an important niece in persuading the New Zealand Press : to adopt a more imperial tone on the I army side, and when the storm burst in 1914 every village in the Empire knew what the real issue was. 'JLhis was only possible because the Press I of the Empire knew why a sacrifice ! must bo made, and what sacrifice must I be 'made. The Canadian Conference would deal with problems of reconstruction, such as distribution of Imperial man power. It was significant that in this new phase the Confcreaee

was meeting in Canada, as reconstruction problems must' largely be settled and worked out in the dominions. Meeting in Canada would get us all away from the idea that England was the centre of the Empire. This was no longer true. All r.nfs of the Empire were now centres for their own purposes. The basis for a true Imperial issue was the full knowledge and sympathy of every part for the ■■whole. -