THE LOYALTY OF THE DOMINIONS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 359, 13 May 1911, Page 3

THE LOYALTY OF THE DOMINIONS.

Mr John Foster Fraser, who is a little apt to jump to hasty conclusions, ; is concerned about the loyalty of the dominions. Writing in "Everybody's Weekly," he expresses the opinion that of loyalty to Britain as Britain ; there is very little in any of the dominions. "Love," he writes, the affection of the strong young fellow for the old father—yes! But he is out of date, far past his prime, and he must not presume to dictate, A growing feeling of self-reliance, independence, without heed of the old man, that is the increasing characteristic, but with the ideal behind of loyalty to the Empire." Mr Fraaer admits that there is an immense loyalty to the Empire, but he holds that there is a very great difference between loyalty to the Empire and loyalty to Great Britain. The man overseas, he savs, sometimes confuses them in his talk, though the thought may be clear at the back of his head. "We will help the Old Country as we did in the South African War," is tvpical evidence, he suggests, of confused thought. To the idea that the dominions should defend themselves, but that all the nations within the Empire should defend the Empire, there is, unquestionably, a strong and sterling loyalty. Mr Fraser admits this, but he says that the prospective trouble is that Britain may possibly become embroiled with another nation over a matter in which the dominion conceives that they have no concern. "Assume," he writes, that Australia was threatened with invasion by Japan. The Australians would rightly expect the British fleet to go to their aid. But I am not certain that if Britain had trouble, say, with the United States about the West Indian Islands, that the majority of Australians would feel that it was any business of theirs. Conceive that trouble arose between Canada and the United States, the great dominion would rely upon us. Bui if unfortunate trouble ; came between ourselves and Germany in regard to African spheres [ am by no means sure that Canada would conceive it her duty to send troops to i fight the Germans." It is the expression of opinions like these that , makes colonials suspect that during i his flving trip through the colonies | Mr Fraser was singularly unobservant ! and unreceptive.