The Press Saturday, January 3, 1920. A Young Statesman.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16722, 3 January 1920, Page 8

The Press Saturday, January 3, 1920. A Young Statesman.

The speech delivered by tho Prince of "Wales at tho recent luncheon at tho Mansion Houso Bhould not havo surprised tho London Press by its insight and grasp of tho great principles of Imperial government, as seems to havo been the case. For to some extent, as far as one can judgo by tin* caUlod summary of the spcocTT, it covered a good deal of tho ground which the Prince went over in his address to somo 3000 members of tho Canadian and Enrpiro Clubs of Toronto on November 4th. His audience on that occasion was not only tho largest that he had faced, but it was the most important, being composed mainly of business men, a class not easily moved to enthusiasm. The Prince, howove-r, carried them otit of themselves, partly by his personality and tho manner of his speech, and partly by tho quality of its matter. Tt was probably tlio first tirno in tho history of the Empire, as a CSirtadian newspaper suggests, that an heir to the Throne discussed at a public meeting tho duty and functions nf tho Grown and the relationship of tho Sovereign with his people. That waa the feature of tho speech which pavo it importance, and moved tho Prince's hearers to remarkable demonstrations of approval.

Tho Prince pointed out that the welfare of tho wholo Empire, which was the big question for everyone, had takon a new Bhapo sine© tho war. Bocanse of their whole-hearted participation in that great struggle, tho Dominions entered tho partnership of nations by Becoming signatories of tho Peace Treaty and members of the League of Nations. The British Empire had left bohind the obsolete idea of an Empire landed down from tho traditions of Groeco and Romo—that of a mother country snrrounded by daughter States which owed her alloTho EmDiTO now appeared as

a S". ite romposed of many nations of different origins and lawruages, whirh give nllepianre, not to a mother fiuntrv, but td :i great cucitnon system of life and c<>vernmont. Tlie I'rineo • ■ontinued"Tlie Uritish art', theretore. no longer ( nli rii«-_- : tluy ar<- sister :i.il:ori> cf ti'r ;:r.-::t I!rit:.-h nation. They played ,i p;ti ; m the war fully pro:<>r!ionate to tlicir ~i, and their international -vil stead'.ly in- : Y"t they all de-ire to remain '.utl.m *he Kmi'iire, wl.ose unity i< ■■•tov. n !.y romimni alli>:;iane<> to the K":ii. 'lint the r'-ason '.vhy I d<> not ps lie!nni;inL' primarily to fire.it 11 t^iin. and ( :.ly in lesser way to Cai:a'!a and t!n- dtl;er Dominions. On t 'n" '■ r>i;trary, I regard myself a< in;,i (;j«-;it 1!' tain and to ( i.'iada ;:i evctly ;!:<• -ame way. Thi-< al-o inc:ii.,- 11i11 w iien | <jr, to the I nited State-; next wr-ek I >hail regar'* jr,>::r' 'liere not only as an Kngh«hr:':-i) and a.- ; I'riti.-her. but also as a Canadian." I e iiu ept inn o| l!:e Kmpire. whif h ai! PMist airree j> tiie right one. involves. tie Crime pointed out. new and dif--■•'dt respoi:>il.:liiic-', demanding that tiie rations of the F'lmt>ire. whose unity 'n Ir.L'ii 1 inrr in defeie eof common ideals '.'•as v.'licllv linexpertcd l,v the enemy, must si.ll maintain that standard of patriotism and co-operation of whifh 1 hey showed tlienwlve- ranable during the war. ' We iniist not lose touch "Willi each other," he added, ,; or we '• shall 1< se a|| that we have won during "the !as| jive years by our common "action and elfort. f«oinon to spoal: for himself, for which lie asked t':e forgiveness of his audience, the Prinre remarked that some of them miplit liaxe noti'e<l that for two months pas) lie had been shaking hands with his l"ft lianrl. His answer to frequent enquiries as to why he did so was alwav.s ilie same. "My right hand was '■'done in' in Toronto" (on the occasion of his first visit). Me went on to say that he took it as a great compliment from Toronto, and then dwelt briellv nn the warmth of his receptions throughout (he Dominion. He was too modest to accept, the welcome as personal to himself, though, as a matter of fact, a less unaffec ted and friondIv royalty would have missed tho tono of genuine personal affW'tion that marked the Prince's reception wherever he went. "I realise,'' ho said, "that tlieso " welcomes have been given me as tho " King's representative coming to "Canada as the heir to tho Throno, " and my visit, has made me rraliso moro " fully than over what a great privilege, " and what, a great, responsibility, all " that confers upon mo. "The Throne (he added) stands for an heritage of common aims and ideals, shared equally bv till sections, »11 parties, and all nations within the British Commonwealth. No Oovernment represents or stands for all parties or all nations within iho Kmpire. Hut despite this, tliero is a common sentiment- which is shared not only bv nil nations within the Kmpire. hut :dso by all nolitieal parties within each nation. We all know this becnusp it was this common sentiment which made Britishers stand together in the grent war. and T realise that this samo sentiment has l>een expressed in the -wonderful welcomes giron mo in Canada as heir to the Throne." "The Kmpiro has found a man." ono of the Prince's hearers at the Mansion TTonse is reported to havo exclaimed. It needed no speech bv the Prince to assure us of the fact —testimony on that point has been furnished in abundance by those who met him in Franeo. But his recent ntterances give welcome assurance that when the timo comcw for tho Prineo to asorad the Throno the Empire will have a King with a profound «ense of his responsibilities, and a strong determination to cany them ont in aecordaneo with the democratic principles which his homo training and his experiences olsewhero have instilled into him.