The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1929. CANADA AND EMPIRE.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 February 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1929. CANADA AND EMPIRE.

Id ok 10 whole-hearted friends of the British Empire, who are a littie .suspicious of Canada's assertion of liei mii.iunal status will be encouraged to lorget their fears, saws the ‘'DyttolLon limes,” on reading the latest reporau action ot the Dominion House of Com,l.olls. A motion was submitted urg.ng the establishment of a Canadian race, the mover’s idea being that penjne whose lamilies had been in the country for three generations should call themselves Canadians, hut, ailei a long debate the proposal was withdrawn. The feeling of the majority, apparently was voiced by the Conservativeleader, -Mr 1C 13. Dennett, who is reported to have laid down the cardinal proposition that as long as Canada was in the Empire so long the term ‘British subject” should be accompanied by the term ‘‘Canadian citizen.” . nelcgislators’ manner of dealing wn tlie subject oilers the strongest evidence 01 thesulidity of British feeling in Canada. No doubt the Canadians, as a nation are proud of being Canadians, just as we in this country are proud of being New Zealanders, hut we certainly take no less pride in b-elong-■ng to the British Empire, and we are justified in believing that our Canadian cousins share that view. Nearly six years ago Canada signed a treaty with the United Staes relating to fisheries, and on the ground that this was a domestic matter the Dominion pieicrrcd to do without the customary signature of the British Minister at Washington 'J his assertion of nationa status on the part of Canada was regarded in some quarters, especially among those whose thought was fathered liv a wish, as a blow at the solidarity of the Empire, but the Imperial

.onl'i. 1 re life look a different view am! promptly endorsed Canada’s action. The appointment of an Amliassador to the United States and the recent deeisi in to send a .Minister Plenipotentiary to Inpan have also been hailed by certain people as an indication of Canada’s desire to be rid of the imperial ties, but neitner the Government nor the Dominion Parliament have done anything to give ground for such a suggestion. At me time the suspicious folk talked Ireely of the possibility of Canada se(eding fiom the Empire and linking up with the United States. The American tariff discrimination against Canada affords the most convincing answer t> talk of that kind, the United States evidently regarding her neighbour as an essentially (British country. It is by no means unlikely .mat the p esenee of the Canadian Ambassador at Washington inis persuaded the Americans, if they needed persuasion. that Canada is uncompromisingly British. It is also likely that the Canadian representatve is doing good work as a liaison officer between the Empire and the United States, inasniucli as lie earn interpret the British mind t> the American and American mind to the British. So far from weakening the bonds of Empire, Canada n tually has done much to strengthen them in recent years by developing the iintbmal status id' all the self-govern-,ng dominoiis. The Imperial Coiifer-

■ :.ce of 192(3 laid it down that “the group of self-go.‘oming communities onipose I of (Imil Britain and tin? dominions are autonomous communities within the British Empire, equal in status and in no way subordinate one *.o the other in any respect, of their domestic or external relations, though united by a common allegiance to the t rown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations.” Canada is exercising her rights under that declaration a little more freely than are her sister dominions. and we need not scruple to pay her the compliment of saying that up to the present she has been the most enterprising of the overseas communities. The debate that lias taken place in the Dominion Mouse of Commons, and the motion that gave rise to it may be reasonably interpreted as evidence of Canada’s desire to live up to her responsibilities and develop- her nationhood, and the stronger each member becomes the greater will he the British Commonwealth of Nations.