EMPIRE RESOURCES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12688, 9 July 1919, Page 4

EMPIRE RESOURCES.

PROPOSED EXHIBITION IN LONDON. [From Ode, Correspondent.] LONDON, May 21. It is proposed to hold an exhibition, rivalling tlie Great .Exhibition in 1851, of manufactures and produce .’of the British Empire, The -suggestion was unanimously supported at a representative gathering called hy the British Empire League at the British Empire Club yesterday. Lord Sydenham, chairman of the league, presided, and said they had met to discuss the desirability of holdmg during the summer of 1921 a great ojlubifcion in London ol the manufaclanes and produce of the Empire in older to promote tho expansion of Imperial trade. It was desired to pass from war to peace efforts as quickly as possible. We fought as a united Empire, and we could share in the reconstruction. (Hear, hear.) *; the Empire vast resources uere undeveloped, and ire must look to development to re-establish our industrial and commercial life. The prosperity of the Empire, the welfare of all its citizens, the existence of the population of the British Islands, depended upon the overseas trade; and A we could not increase that trade there would be economic difficulties. Gin- Allies, the Americans and Japanese, had been building during the war, find we must face tho future, as we faced the war, as a united Empire(Cheers.) Success would denend upon the wholehearted co-operation 'of • the Empire and the goodwill and assistance of Governments and chambers of commerce throughout the Empire. The exhibition should be devoted mainlv to business .objects, and should be man-

aged by business men. (Cheers-) The idea would be to make it a. great central gathering for the citizens of our itmpire throughout the world, with the object- of expanding Imperial trade, lie moved that it was desirable that such an exhibition should be held Lord Blyth seconded. He was organising chairman of the FrancoBntish arid the Japanese Exhibitions, and knew it was impossible to overestimate the goodwill between nations that resulted. Mr Balfour stated in a- letter that he had no doubt that the successful co-operation of French and British in the war was very largely due to the beneficial effect of 'the Franco-British Exhibition. Lord Hardmge told him (Lord Blyth), too, that in his opinion the good feeling that existed between Prance and Japan and ourselves was duo in no small degree to the exhibitions held in London. If it was good to bring the nations together it must he good to bring the Efnpire together. (Cheers.)

APPALLING IGNORANCE

Mr W. M. Hughes, Premier of Australia, opening the discussion, said it was a reflection to a certain extent upon the different members of the Empire that each knew so little of the other. More was known now than a little while ago, but the depth of our ignorance was still rather appalling. It would be presumption on his part to say what ought to be donebut, as to the desirability of holding an exhibition, the advantages were obvious. The resources of the Empire were great, almost unlimited. It would he wrong for him to say a Word about politics, but he could not refrain from pointing out what he thought was very obvious, that trade ran along certain channels, and we were inclined to drop the substance and pursue phantom shadows. Those who thought it possible to run with the hare and the hounds were wrong. The electors of England had to make up their minds whether they wanted an Empire or not. There was outward and visible proof of the greatness that awaited those who had the- courage to

put out a band. It was not to be picked up by the mere spinners of words or those whose sheet-anchor was on a petrified theory of an age that had gone and would never return. It must be recognised that the world was the world we lived in to-day- Nothing any nation could do would put us down, and we could only be brought down by something we did ourselves, or something we did not do. Nothing but our own pusillanimity could put us down. Ho wished the proposal every success- (Cheers.) Sir Joseph Ward, Finance Minister. New Zealand, was of opinion that the fight for supremacy after the war was to he as keen as the fight for supremacy on the battlefields and on the sea, and it was to the old Motherland that people overseas looked, as they had throughout their existence, to give them a start. To-day we were on the eve of what must he recognised as chaos in the commercial world. There would be active competitors for commercial supremacy, and the task would be as hard as in the past- America and Japan had supplanted Germany in trade and had secured much that the old Motherland had. He supported the proposition. Sir George Perley, High Commissioner, Canada, said the war had taught ns that we ought to he a selfGoukumd Etiiptte, relying ttpott our own resources, and he thought this exhibition would help in that direction. Sir Edgar Bowring, Higli Commissioner, Newfoundland, regarded the exhibition as an excellent means of bringing the Empire more closely together for mutual trade. Sir John M’Call, Sir Robert Hadfield, Lord Southwark, Sir Richard Gregory, Sir ‘William Hoy (DirectorGeneral of South African Railways), and Mr E. B. Treadwen supported the resolution, whicli was carried unanimously. Among those present were:—

Sir Thomas Mackenzie, High Commissioner. New Zealand; Mr A. Fisher, High Commissioner, Australia; Mr w! Herbert Daw, Sir C. G. Wade. Sir John Cockhurn. Sir Peter M’Bride. General Sir Newton Moore, Colonel Scott Allan, Sir Thomas Robinson, General Sims, Major Tiraewell. Mr J. D. Connolly, Mr A. J. Marriott, Mr Edward Lucas. Colonel O’Meara, Mr Alexander Royd and Air 0. Freeman Murray.

Mr W. C. Revolt, an old Taranaki pioneer, died at Westown, New Plymonth, last Wednesday. Deceased, who would have been ninety-four years of age in a fortnight’s time, arrived at New Plymouth by the William Bryan on April 1, 1841, being one of the earliest settlers there- With his parents he engaged in farming in the Waiwakaiho district, and went all through the Maori war- He married a daughter of the late Joseph Hawke, of New Plymouth, and some time after the conclusion of the Maori trouble he went to Nelson, returning to Taranaki after the death of his wife a few years ago.