IMPERIAL OUT LOOK

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 867, 13 July 1910, Page 7

IMPERIAL OUT LOOK

SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR. STRENGTH, UNITY, AND SOLIDARITY. ~ NATIONAL IDEALS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Auckland, July 12. A strong Imperialistic note wafl sounded by the Governor, in the course of a speech he delivered after his formal reply to the address' of welcome presented to him by the Mayor. His Excellency, iu entering upon this portion of his speech, remarked: —The Mayor had referred to the great loss that the Empire had recently sustained. The universal expressions of sorrow that had been heard during the past lew weeks throughout the British Empire showed how deep was the people's devotion to the lace King. They might ask what attributes of his late Majesty's had produced this far-reaching devotion. He possessed, in a great "degree, a personal charm and .magnetism, a magnetism that was able to inspire not only those who were brought into contact with him, but also those who had never seen him, but who were brought under the influence of the great example which he, like his illustrious mother;, had set. (Applause.) Servants of tb,e Crown who, like himself (His Excellency) were, privileged to preside over the great self-governing States of the Empire, were enabled to profit much by the example of the. late King. He (the speaker) had come to New Zealand strongly imbued, with this example;- the teachings of which he hoped he naa sufficiently imbibed. . (Applause.)

Self-Coyernment. He had come to a country populated by a people who, for many years past, had firmly established a system of selfgovernment. As one-who ' had spent the greater portion of his working years in the Home Parliament, he had to confess to no fewer than 18 years of political life, he had learned to appreciate what self-government meant. It meant what one of the greatest statesmen who had ever lived, Abraham Lincoln, had said in his address at Gettysburg, winch was perhaps tlio .greatest speech that.was ever delivered in the English language, "that this nation in God shall have a new birth, of freedom, and that the Government of the people by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth." This had been their precept ever since they had become an autonomous State, and it was the precept that prevailed to-day in all the self-governing States of the. Empire. The great Imperial Government in the days gone "by had learnec" the wisdom of allowing the colonies to manage their own affairs, and the result ! had been a strengthening of the attachment of the colonies .to the Mother Country. It was the system .of' self-government of the overseas Dominions which to-day formed .the solid groundwork of our Imperial greatness, (Hear, hear.) New Zealand, in a short period of time, had by her endeavours achieved much in material prosperity.They had done their full share in fostering the. great spirit of Imperial com•munity. They had done this alone with their sister States, and it was due in no small .degree to that peculiar quality of initiative and imagination which hehad always observed in his many journeyings through the Empire, and which was often possessed in. an enhanced degree, by. those of the British-race who established • themselves in new countries, and founded lor themselves now States. (Applause.)

A Highly-Favoured Country. It should not,»his BisgeMency wont-on to say, bo they, were least of all likely to forget it—that Now Zealand was a highly-favoured country. They had had.the best human energy that tho .Mother Country could give them, and they were also endowed with natural gifts of climate, soil, arid general environment to such an extraordinary extent that they were entitled to regard themselves as one of the most highly lavoured countries in the world. (Applause.) He deemed it a great privilege to be called to the position of Governor of such a country. He felt, that his duties amongst a. community that • was, so loyally devoted to the Imperial connection would bo an agreeable one. Their loyalty to King George V was as genuine and profound as it had been to his great predecessor. (Applause.) King George had ascended the Throne at what was a most critical juncture in the life of the Mother. Country. It was a time when prudent and ' wise, qualities were required ■to a great degree in a King, and that King George possessed these qualities was the sincere belief of all who had watched his career. (Hear, hear.) King George had also ascended the Throne at a no less important juncture in the life of the Empire. He believed he was correct in saying that the next ten years were going to-be crucial years in their Imperial destiny. The Empire must go on becoming stronger' and more united: They need not do this in any aggressive spirit. "Whilst union made for strength, strength also made for peace. (Hear, hear.) The solidarity of the British Empire, made for more universal peace than any other factor tho world had ever known. (Applause.) .

Watchwords. Strength, unity and solidarity—these he said were their watchwords as.lmperialists. They could not and ihe.i should not disguise from themselves what was taking place in. the world to-day. Everywhere they saw tho. growth of population, tho growth of naval, military, and commercial organisations. ,As members of the great British' Empire, it behoved them to set lJlftir minds, not in a spirit of fear or aggression, but-in a spirit of screno determination to maintain tho position that we hold in tho world to-day— a position that had been handed down to us by our forefathers, and which they all believed to be in the highest sense in the best interests of the human race. (Hear, hear.) He urged them to maintain a strong, vigorous population, and he hoped that as time went on it would be an increasing popuand to be.strong in all those national . ideals that every portion of the Empire should seek to attain, and which would make for the strength of the future of the great- British Empire. (Applause)