The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1927. AN ARDENT IMPERIALIST.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 November 1927, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1927. AN ARDENT IMPERIALIST.

The first British Minister to visit New Zealand while holding Cabinet rank, the Right Hon. Leopold Charles Maurice Stennent Amery, Secretary of State for the Colonies and Dominions arrived in Auckland on Monday, and is now touring the Dominion. Mr Amery who has just celebrated his 54th birthday, is the son of the late Charles F. Anierv, who was an able officer in the Forest Department of India. Ho was born at Gorakhpur, the headquarters of the most north-easterly district of the United Province of India. He was educated at Harrow and Baiiliol College, Oxford, and after travelling in the Near East he joined the editorial staff of the London “Times.” He went to South Africa on behalf of the “Times” during the Doer War, and subsequently edited the “Times’ History of the South African War,” which was published in seven volumes. He has previously visited the Dominions. Mr Anierv has always hcen an ardent tariff reformer, and has spoken and written a great deal in favour of tariff reform and Imperial preference. It was as a Unionist and tariff reformer that he stood as a Parliamentary candidate for Wolverhampton East twenty-one years ago. when he was 33 years of age, but be was dofeated by the “dear food” cry raised by the opponents of Imperial preference and tariff reform. Undaunted Mr Amery stood for the same seat in 1908, but was again defeated. Twc years later he stood again, but suffered a third defeat. At the next general election, eleven months later, whicli was brought about by the rejection by the House of Lords of Mr Llovd George’s Budget, which became known as the People’s Budget, Mr Amery stood for the London constituency of Bow and Bromley, and was again defeated. Success came next year when lie stood for Birmingham South. He represented that constituency in the House of Commons until 1918, when he was returned for the Sparksbrook division of Birmingham. During the war he serveH on the General Staff at the War Office, and subsequently on the armv headquarters staff at Salonika. In 1917 he was appointed assistant secretary to the Imperial War Cabinet, and it used to lie said that he and Sir Maurice Hnnkey, the secretary to the Cabinet, knew more official war secrets than any other two men in England. Mr Amery’s first Ministerial appointment was that of Under-Secretary in the Colonial Office in 1919. and in 1921 he was transferred to a similar post in the Admiralty. When Mr Lloyd George’s Coalition Government .vas overthrown in 1922. as the result >F withdrawal of Conservative support, ind the late Mr Bonar Law became ’rime Minister, Mr Amery was elevated to Cabinet rank as First Lord >f the Admiralty. In that capacity ie was responsible for bringing lieore the House of Commons the proposal to build a naval base at Sfntra■ore. When Mr Bonar Haw died In 923, and Mr Stanley Baldwin sneeeded him as Prime Minister. Mr Lmery remained at the Admiralty.

It is said that -Mr Aniery was foremost amongst those younger Ministers who induced Mr Baldwin to dissolve Parliament in November, 1923, and appeal to the country for a mandate to bring in fiscal duties to protect homo industries from the unfair competition of European countries, which, as the result of the great depreciation of their currencies, were flooding the English market with cheap commodities of all kinds. At that time the Conservative Government had been only a year in office, and in the ordinary course of events it could have stayed in office for another three or four years, as it had a substantial majority of 80 members in the House of Commons The cautions (political advisers of the party wore opposed to an appeal to the country, but as British industries were suffering severely from foreign competition in the home market as well as abroad, and a-, hundreds of thousands of British workers were unemployed owing to tills unfair competition, Mr Baldwin thought the time was opportune for an appeal to the electors for a mandate to impose protective duties. But onoo more tlio “dotir-footl” cry rai-soel by the Liberal and Labour parties was successful at the polls; the Conservative majority was swept- away for Great Britain's first Labour Government under Mr Ramsay MacDonald, which was kept in office for ten months by the support of Liberal members. When the Labour Government went to the country in October, 1921. the Conservatives were returned with the largest- majority in England’s Parliamentary history, and Mr Baldwin formed bis second Government. In this Administration, Mr Aniery took charge of the Colonial Office, which ho, as an ardent Imperialist, regards as the Cabinet post which offers most opportunity for furthering the interests of the Empire. He is author of three interesting hooks dealing with political and Imperial questions, viz., “The Fundamental Fallacies of Free Trade,” “The Great- Question,” and “Union and Strength.” ire must he regarded as one of the “live” sons of the Empire, and his popularity wherever he goes can he well understood.