MR. HUGHES IN LONDON

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2726, 22 March 1916, Page 5

MR. HUGHES IN LONDON

LUNCHEON TO.FEDERAL PRIME MINISTER ADVOCATE OF A STERN TRADE WAR A ROUSING SPEECH By TelesraDh—Press Association—ConyriKlrt

(Rec. March' 21, 5.5 p.m.)

London, March 20. Mr. W. M. Hughes (Primo Minister of Australia) was entertained at lunoheon at the City Carlton Club to-day. Mr. A. J. Balfour (First Lord of the Admiralty), in a speech of welcome, said that two stages of our colonial history had passed—the first, when the Mother Country extended her guidance, and the second when came statosmon's realisation of t\n fact that tho colonies must bo given freedom to expand and develop in their own way. Sqine regarded colonial independence as tho half-way house to colonial separation; that was never his (Mr. Balfour's) opinion. -»The third stage had yet to be accomplished. "This will tax the highest statesmanship in Britain and the Dominions—namely, bringing in to a closer intimacy and union, organically as well' as sentimentally and patriotically, these great communities,' whoso wisdom has told tUeru that they must work out their own salvation, and who yet know that self-realisation can only Jbe adequately pursued by ttms bringing a great evolution to a proper climax, not remaining as eeparate communities scattered! World-wide, but by forming a united Empire, the separate parts of which, feeling unhampered by belonging to tho whole, realiso that only by belonging to the whole can they make tho best of themselves."

In the course df hut speech in response, Mr. Hughes said that among the chief causes of the *ar was Germany's desire to wrest from Britain hor industrial and commercial supremacy. "We must kill the hope that still buoys Germany up, so that after tho war Germany will bo unable to win back hor former position in commerce and industry." He repeated his contention that the trade policy of Britain after the war ought to be declared without delay. If a plain and unambiguous declaration wero made now t'lie effect would be tremendous.

Mr. Hughes, referreu- m the present effect of the Var on Britain's economic life, the effect of the withdrawal cf millions of people from production, and the necessity after the war of systematically exploiting every resource.-. "Can tsuch a task of building up our depleted wealth after the war be attempted without preparation ? If Great Britain's policy is not going to be changed, that preparation is unnecessary. But that is out of the question. Britain is the pioneer of the textile industry, in which millions of capital are invested 1 , and hundreds of thousands of workers are employed. I cannot find words strong enough to castigate tne policy of permitting the enemy to control the aniline dyes. It is stupendous folly .to give Germany a monopoly of tungsten, which is the essential principle for hardening steel, and therefore the life-blood cf modern war. Will we get sugar after tho war from Austria and Germany and allow tho Dominions' vast land ! s to lie idle?

"This war," ho added, "has rung the death-knell of the policy of cheapness Which has no respect for the scial and economic welfare of the workers, disregards our national integrity, and mistakes mere wealth for greatness, irrespective of whether the wealth is owned by Englishmen or German' Jews: (Cheers.) This is no time for a kid-glovo policy. If we let tho opportunity slip it will pass forever."