EMPIRE KNOWLEDGE
Work of Overseas League Outlined MR. W. TEELING’S VISIT While travelling in various parts of the world in order to prepare himself for a Parliamentaij candidacy in England, Mr. William Teeling, a member of the governing committee of the Overseas League, was struck by the lack of knowledge of the Empire that existed in its outlying parts, and also by the fact that the post-war generation knew nothing and cared little about what was happening in the various parts of the Empire. Realising the need for an organisation which was non-political and which would serve to bind the Empire closer together, he has devoted as much time as possible to the Overseas League, the biggest organisation of its kind in the world, and is now visiting Wellington. He represented the society at the Melbourne centenary. The other Australian capitals and Fiji have also been visited by Mr. 'reeling, who was formerly chairman of the Roman Catholic Immigration Society, until all emigration from Great Britain ceased in 1931. Future immigration possibilities have been specially studied by him in Australia, and lie has visited immigration settlements and possible immigration centres. * The Overseas League has as its aim the tightening of the bonds to the Mother Country and the increase of intercourse and the strengthening of unity among the various peoples of the Empire. It was founded in 1910 by Sir Evelyn Wrench, and its membership is now about 47,000. Its silver jubilee will be celebrated this year by the purchase of the Duke of Rutland’s house, next to the league’s own house. Mr. Teeling lias given a large number of lectures on Empire subjects at the London house, and here from 300 to 400 visitors are entertained weekly. League in Australia. The house is a residential one for visitors in Loudon, and there is _ a similar house in Scotland, while branches and secretaries are established in every large town and port in the world. The league issues a monthly magazine, as well as arranging correspondence between membeft who bad never met. In Australia Mr. Teeling had found it in a very flourishing condition, and understood that it was in a similar condition in this country. He had succeeded in arranging for a visit of Australian surfers and life-savers to England and possibly South Africa. Before he left New Zealand he hoped, to add 1000 members to the league, in answer . to the Prince of Wales’s request to bring the membership up to 50,000 for the silver jubilee year. The Duke of York was the president of the league, which had a royal charter. When Mr. Teeling was visiting Fiji, at the request of the Governor, he spent two days on the leper island there and was struck by the evidence of New Zealand interest, most of the articles that were sent there voluntarily coming from this country. In Australia he bad been impressed by the lack of knowledge about other parts of the Empire, but Australian Fascist groups, realising that theye were imperative Empire problems calling for solution, were joining similar groups in South Africa rather than in England. When Mr. Teeling looked over the hills and lakes of Rotorua “e considered them to be very of Scotland. The tremendous possibilities for the development of Rotorua impressed him very much, and. he considers the branch of the Overseas League which he recently established there may help to spread information about the attractions and. assist in bringing tourists there.
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Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 106, 29 January 1935, Page 11
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578EMPIRE KNOWLEDGE Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 106, 29 January 1935, Page 11
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