THE EMPIRE

Wairarapa Age, 15 November 1919, Page 5

THE EMPIRE

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT BY BETTER TBANSPOBT. (By Electric Telegraph.—-Copyri(?bt.) (Australian-N.Z. Cable Association.) Eoceiverd Last Night, 5.5 o'clock. LONDON, Nov. 12. Licut.-Colonel L. C. Amery, in an interview by the Morning Post, said that, as November 19 was the century of the United States, so the 20th would bo the century of the British Empire, It would end with the British Empire having 200,000,000. white citizens, enjoying a far higher level of prosperity than tho United States enjoyed to-day. Tho first essential was tho development of Imperial transport by Empire-wide railways. Thcso were essential as a complement to the policy of Imperial preference It was tho business of the wholo Empire to assist in developing the Crown Colonies and protectorates. The equal participation in the governance of tho less advanced territories was of more practical importance than tho recognition of tho ■Dominion's equality and status in international affairs. As half the population of Asia was within the British Empire, there was no possiblo menace against the interests of Australia and Canada, since half of the 800,000,000 Asiatics' were partners in the Empire. With the Dominions, the tropical Empire belonged to' the Dominions as well as to Britaiu. Australia should look to tropical Africa as well as to the Pacific Islands. We must learn to decentralise our conception'of Empire- The idea of the Empire as a gplari system with England ti3 'the sun and the Colonies as satellites, was out of date. Alongside the development of. transport should go the development of overseas settlement. Emigration was an evil word. Mon could not emigrate to Australia. Tho word should bo reservedfor foreign countries, The League of Nations mandate would not interfere with British Imperial Policy. "The mandate," ho added, "is not likely to impose any conditions which we would not impose oursolves."