INTEREST TN THE DOMINIONS

Western Star, 15 August 1924, Page 3

INTEREST TN THE DOMINIONS

Reference to the defeat, in the House of Commons, of his preference proposals, was made by Mr Stanley Baldwin in an address at the Australian, and New Zealand Luncheon Club in London. "1 can understand the feeling of deep disappointment that may be caused throughout the Empire by the decision of Parliament,'' he said "But I do beg most honestly that all those overseas whose sympathies run with the course that we were pursuing will not take the vote to mean that we at home do not care. If you believed that you would believe something that was absolutely wrong. I say without fear of contradiction, in a moment when i myself personally have suffered defeat, that 1 do not believe that- ever in our country has there been a more eager desire to learn about the things that pertain to thc Empire. An eager desire to loam may very easily be translated into an eager desire to do. We have much to learn at home, and we are learning and nothing struck me more forcibly during the debate in the last two 'days than the testimonies that came forward to that interest that 1 speak of —testimonies for which we might have looked in vain some years ago in this country. So. whether or no a particular action of Parliament at a particulr moment- seems to you to bear this or that interpretation, make no mistake about it, the heart of |bis country is as sound as a bellWhile the present Government have not seen their way to endorse the recommendations which I put before them, they have stated definitely that their interest was as great as ours in doing what is one of the most essential things, and that is spreading more evenly the gjreat population Jof our Empire in the various parts 0 f it. In any efforts they may make in that direction they will have the most cordial co-operation from the Opposition."