TIES THAT BIND THE EMPIRE

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5323, 8 February 1947, Page 5

TIES THAT BIND THE EMPIRE

(Press Assn-

— + MUST BE MAINTAINE'D share of rurdens and privileges

—Rec. 9.S0 p.m.)

LONDON, Feb. 7. In speaking. at a meeting of the * Royal Empire Society, l'ollowing an . addness by Sir Arthur Salter, an Independent member of the House of Commons, on British Commonwealth l elationa, the New Zealand High Commissioner, Mr. W. J. Jordan, aaid the Dominion was so closely attached to Britain that it had not so far ratified the Statute of Westminster. Mr. Jordan suggested that reciprocal agreements like that between Arstralia and New Zealand might be one means of cementing relations between the Dominions themselves and the United Kingdom. Sir Godfrey Huggins, Prime Alinister of Southern Rhodesia, said he Ihought the time had come to show whether the Statute of W'estminstef was an act of disaster or an act of strength. The immediate question was whether the peoples of the Empire were prepared to slvow that they were big enough to give up a little ?.f their sovereignty for the sake of world peace. 0 Lord Bennett, a former Prime Alinister of Canada, said he did xiot see how the Commonwealth could continue unless some organisation could be i'ormed to bind together the overseas Dominions. In the opening address, Sir Arthur Salter said Britain must use the whole strueture of the British Commonwealth to maintain an equal place in j ihe main trinity of post-war power. The Dominions, he said, twice withi n a generation had shared Britain's wartime fortunes and eff"orts, but they bore no proportionate share of either the burden or privilege of her policy and preparation in peace. They suffered the consequences of any failure without taking part in its causes. The Dominions alone would decide whether they would now accept or intleed demand, a fuill share with the United Kingdom in their heritage as members of the Commonwealth, with its burdens and its privileges. "It is the duty of the United Kingdom's representatives," said Sr. Arthur, "to emphasise that Britain neither desires to continue the heger.iony of the past nor possesses the resources to carry out the responsi'"ilities which that once implied."