OUR EMPIRE AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2278, 12 October 1914, Page 7

OUR EMPIRE AND THE WAR

BRITAIN'S WONDERFUL MAN& Speaking at the Orphans' Club on Saturday evening the Hon. A. L. Herdmau said that tho greatest phenomenon in the greatest war of all ages now proceeding in Europe was the fact that for the first time in the history of the world tho little island nation, Britain, had been able to draw troops from all parts of the-world to fight in Europe. To him this was a most ■wonderful and significant fact, rendered still more remarkable by the fact that England was tho only nation that could ..do it. ' ■ ■ Referring to the same point, Sir 'James Carroll, at the same function, said that truly remarkable was tlie. power that England had of assimilating hor beneficent civilising influences ana constitutional principles with, other and diverse peoples. England was the only nation that had been able to construct a perfect monarchical system on a broadly democratic basis. In most other monarchies the head of the State was the dictator, and ruthless where his desires were concerned. But England had lifted its Sovereign out of the sphere of control to a sanctified place, 'where he /was loved and worshipped as the Crown—the apex of out splendid national structure. What was this wondrous influence? Only the other day India was reeking with sedition; today she was absolutely thirsting to take hor eharo of the responsibility of Empire. South Africa, where fourteen years ago they were fighting the stubbom Boers, had been granted a Constitution, and had come forward to "do its part. And so it was with Canada; 'Australia, and New Zealand. And it v was all done .voluntarily—-there was , never a vestige of anything approaching compulsion. When tho tocsin of war was sounded, there wae a mighty re-, sponse immediately, showing that in spite of difference in colour and creed the Empire was cne —one pulse, ■ one throb, one thrill, one heart! He had tho greatest faith in the ultimate result. The Allies must win. It. was impossible to conceive any intellect believing otherwise. Still they must bear in mind that the position wa.s serious. The Allies had not pushed the Germans back much, if at air, in the east or west—they were face to' face with a terrific mechanical force that was backed up by aJi organisation perfect enough to stagger one. It was indeed fortunate that circumstance—and it was but circumstance—had not- ordained that England should fight Germany alone. On the other hand they' found that so little had Germany right and justice on her side that she found herself, in- the position of having to etand alone. On the result of the war depended whether the future should witness a retrograde civilisation or ite advance, znenfc . ~.