EMPIRE BUILDING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 303, 17 August 1932, Page 5

EMPIRE BUILDING

(Press. Assn.'

successor to rome STATESMANLIKE SPEECPI BY MR. STANLEY BALDW1N A CALL FOR COURAGE

— By Telegraph — Copyrlght).

OTTAWA, Tuesday. "The conference will not set baclc, it will set forward, our recognition of each other's needs," declared Mr. Stanley Baldwin, when speaking as the .guest of the Canadian Club. Mr. Baldwin said all the delegates realised how difficult it was, in the course of the Ottawa discussions, to maintain high ideals and to live up to the speeehes made before the conference. He concluded: "I hope and believe, that we will carry away from Ottawa an elevation of mind to sustain us and a consecration of oipr fellowship which will help us to tread the difficult path of the coming years. "One of the world's difiiculties is that statesmen have little time to think. They are oecupied by an in-

finitude of details, tending to lose a sense of perspective, proportion and direetion. Suecumbing to this means losing one's soul. "I call your attention to the present position, in order that we may nerve ourselves for renewed elxort to attempt the impossible — namely, to build up our Empire to perpetuity. The British Empire is the material and inteliectual embodiment of a eivilisation which a few years ago was tottering, and which we come together to help save for mankind. "We stand to-day as heirs of the Roman Empire, vhose disappearance is evidence that progress is not permanent, continuous or inevitable. Political genius in the Roman Empire did not prevent its downfall. A similar challenge to our genius, industry and loyalty is being made today. "The world siands on the precipice of bankruptcy while in the possession of the secret of plenty. The rnore efflciently the Empire can conduct its business the better for the outside world. "A poliey of Imiierial isolation is unde.-dral'le fiom any standpoint. The thing is to bring minds neither mean nor sordid to bear on our Imperial i esnonsibilities. "The l.eginnings of Canadian devtlo'emtrd weae the missions and trading camps. It is still true to-day ihat we must div.'de our ati ention between our spiritual and material lives, and we must not think because we are assemhled to dcal with business that the Empire exists solely for the puinose of enabling the people to enlavge thcir ineomes," said Mr. Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin paid a tribute to Mr. Bennett 's strength of personality and hi.s >;tatesmanship and urged Canada to support whatever way the conference results.