TO WELD AN EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1622, 13 December 1912, Page 8

TO WELD AN EMPIRE.

MISSION OF THE OVERSEAS CLUB. INTERVIEW WITH MB. EVELYN . WRENCH. Ono of the busiest men in Wellington (yesterday was Mr. Evelyn Wrench, general organiser for the Overseas Club, a powerful non-party democratic patriotic club, with 500 branches throughout tho British Empiro. Cutting into his time last evening, as ho worked at a mountain of correspondence, Mr. AVrench quickly dispelled the haziness which may exist in some quarters as to what the club actually is, and what its objects are. Its chief nim is to weld tho different parts of the Empiro into a solid whole, in order that wo may hand on to those following the heritage of our fathers undiminished, to maintain, guard, and strengthen it on a broad basis of justice, freedom, and good government; to inculcate a better and more substantial spirit of patriotism than tho form embodied in the term "jingoism," and to carry on tho work of civilisation bequeathed to the nation by our forbears. Tho objects of the club in a nutshell are set out in formal style as follow :—

(1) To help one another. (2) To render individual service to our Empiro. (3) To insist on the vital necessity of British supremacy on the sea. (-{) To draw together in a bond of comradeship the peoples now living under the folds of the British flag. Thess are, perforce, broad generalities, but Mr. Wrench makes them' actualities when he says that thero is no patriotic club of the kind which has such a comprehensive establishment _ within the Empire, and should, for' instance, some momentous question arise which might necessitate the taking of a referendum throughout tho Empire, there is no organisation which could do it as effectively as the Overseas Club.

On New Zealand. •"I have now been in New Zealand eighteen days," said Mr. Wrench, "and what impresses me more than anything else is that I don't think there is . any other part of the Empire in which the people live happier and more, contented lives. I don't find that mad. ro.sh after wealth that one meets everywhere in Canada and the. United States. The people here appear to have a.better sense of proportion. For instance, I was invited to visit the bowling greens in Auckland, and there I saw after i o'clock in the afternoon men controlling large and important businesses quietly enjoying- themselves in the pleasantest possible manner, and 1 don't hear that their businesses suffer for it. Tou have a fine' idea of getting more enjoyment out of life than in other parts of the Umpire I have visited, and I really believe your outlook is saner.- Another thing' which has struck me forcibly is that the young'men of New Zealand, judging them by those I have met, appear to bo imbued with a spirit, from an Imperial standpoint, that I have met in no.- other part Of the Empire. They seem so alive to the big Imperial problems of the .day, and understand them and their, significance.

Population. "Tour Government, I think, should devote more energy in inducing population to come to this most attractive country, following the lines which have proved so effective in Canada and Australia, and I hear that the Hon. Mr. Mackenzie intends to do something in that direction. As to the wisdom of populating the country, say by the introduction of four or five millions of people, th'ere can bo little question, I think, though you are so happy and contented at present. Here you are 1500 miles awayftfrom Australia, and 7030 miles from the Panama Canal—-. cut off from the world.

"Does it hot strike you that awakening Asia might at any time cast longing eyes at such a plum in the Empire cake. Your small population is a menace to your ; Safety, but if you had several millions of population, not segregated in the ct-tdes understand, you would be much better off from the standpoint of defence, and infinitely better off materially. If Eome big scheme could be devised whereby 10,000 boys from tho slums of the big cities of fingland could be introduced and trained up on your farms in tho healthy, out-door life that is characteristic of your country, they would soon become as fine men physically as your native-born, instead of becoming derelicts, and worse than useless to the nation. And if 10,000 girls could be imported their condition in life would be materially improved, and your matrons would soon get all the help I am told they so much need.

Land of Garden Cities. "This should he a laud of garden cities," continued Mr. "Wrench. "Tour cities trend that way alreadv. but much more could be done in that direction. In Auckland they are endeavouring to form a garden suburb, which is an excellent' thing, for clean, healthy suburbs make a strong, healthy people. In that regard I was pleased to find beautifying societies in several of the towns I 'have visited—all doing good work in the proper direction. "Frankly, I would like to sre New Zealand better known than it is. I would like to see contingents of your fine cadets visit the other colonies every year. The visit to Canada was a splendid advertisement, and one of the best means of gaining publicity for a country which deserves it.

Exchange of Visits. "1 made a suggestion to Mr. Massey which sounds far-fetched, but is not so to me, and that was that oonfc'ngenfcs of members of the Parliaments of the different Dominions. should exchange visits, say, every third year, New Zealand membars visiting Australia, South Africa, and Canada, and the others visiting New Zealand. They would lie given a splendid welcome, but, what was of more importance, they would have a clearer idea of the problems the different countries had to face, and would have a better notion of how to' treat them. It. would be in the nature of political and Imperial self-help, and Would be a valuable factor in welding the Empire together. I would further, suggest that no man should be allowed to hold a seat in tho British Cabinet unless he had visited at least two of the big overseas Dominions. "What a training in perspective it would be.

A Momentous Time. "I believe that the meat twenty years is to bo a period of terrific importance to the Empire, as important to us as the period from 1774 was to America. Tho old conception of the Empire, being a mother with her colonies as her children, was changing—in the future the Empire would consist more as a group of sister nations, each great, and together predominant and invincible. That is why I would like each of the Dominions, as far as possible to develop its own scheme of naval defence on certain lines that would mean the co-operation, of all parts of the Empire whenever the occasion arose. This, I think, is the most magnificent conception of Empire ever presented to mankind, and one which would make for ■peace." Mr. Wrench leaves for Palmerston North to-day. Ho will return to Arlington, and leave for Nelson on Monday, and afterwards proceed on to Wesbport and Greymouth. Then he hopes to spend a fow days in tho Cold Lakes district, before taking up bis organisation work at Invercargill, Dunedin, Oaanaru, Timaru, Christchurch, and fina.lly m Wellington, where he will address a biff meeting in tho Town Hall.