EMPIRE BUILDING.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1923, Page 4

EMPIRE BUILDING.

In tl’.e course of proceedings in celebration of Kmpiie Day in London, Sir James Allen made a notable speech. He reminded Ins audience that the boys and girls in New Zealand were saluting the flag of Empire that day in till the schools, that the parents and tlie children wore making up their minds to go on developing that little part of the Empire so as to maintain tlie respect which tney believed they had earned from tlie Motherland. 'llie work of ’Empire building, said the High Commissioner, did not belong to the men alone. There was no Empire Jiio years ago. but it was just that nthuber of years ago in the reign of Queen Eli'/.abeth that the work of Empire building began, and again in me reign of Queen Victoria, whose birthday they were celebrating, this Empire building was greatly developed. Sir James then went on to speak u the great privileges the children ol i.ondon had "I learning how the Empire came into existence. Standing in Trafalgar sipinre they saw Nel- mbenltinin toweling into the sky. mat great sailor who made lot them the ft cedi mi of the seas -the freedom v. Jiidt we must maintain it' we wore i>> maintain the Empire itself. Nearby Was the statue of Hnveloek. who did mi much for our Indian Empire, and who .--aid: ‘‘l have so lived my hi, that when dentil comes I shall not l.e afraid to face it." .Just beyond the Admiralty Ailt was the statue ot Captain Janie- Cook, that great explorer. who navigated the Pacific, and was the lirst white man to set foot on New Zealand shores. At the end of Waterloo I'hue was the statue of Captain Scott, the Antarctic explorer, fn Christchurch, New Zealand, they, too, had a statue ol ( upturn Scott, fa.-hioned by the explorers wife, [i was the same spirit dis| layoil by S ntt that had been the means of building this great Empire which wo knew. Then down at the end of the Mall facing Rockingham Palace they bad ilie memorial el Queen \icimia. Thus they had hel'oie their own eyes tile lesson of Empire, told as ii would not be told in any hook. May 21 1 1 1 . was Empire Hay for people in Australia and New Zealand, but it had for thrill an added significance. H "as on May 21th. Hilo that the troops on (la Uipoli and the Turk- arranged an armistice so they might bury their

(Icm I in No Man's Land. Ry them it was proved that the New Zealand, tl " Australian, and the licit i-h troops could -larnl side by side against any other ttvops in the world. Sir Janies Allen 1b, .11 referred to the educative m- • 1 Hence i f the Imperial Institute. "I me Empire Exhibit ion oexi year. Athey tin.light lit all tin's great hei'itage. did it not make their hcait- I env (jiit' ker. lie asked, their imagination, glow, and create a Jcteriuiiiat ion t ' do their utmost to stand by the Empire, fi build it ill) as dkl those great he’.'i'es cl' t 1: t<> lvrnj'iiiM.' iluir ios Mid Inv iluMiisidvos out to j-o?

, lull the country they occupied w .'■i.verued with justice and Ircedom.