DUTY TO THE EMPIRE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 50, 20 June 1914, Page 4

DUTY TO THE EMPIRE.

In the course of an address he recently delivered in London on “The Duty of Britishers at Home and Abroad,” Sir George Reid said: The complaint used to be made that the right, kind of Britisher never seemed to travel, and that if he would only travel the estimation in which ho was Held abroad would be higher. lam speaking of a time when the “undesirable” member of the British family was shipped to the colonies, where, on the strength of his illustrious origin, he borrowed large sums, which he never repaid. \ Tilings are*not so bad now. Many eminent and capable Englishmen now travel, and in this connection I wish to congratulate Australia on the recent visit to that] country of such a distinguished Eng- j lishman as Lord Emraott. Throughout the oversea dominions there is existent an intense local patriotism which is wholly consistent with tlie larger Imperial patriotism. Australia has shown both qualities in its splendid self-sacrifice in both land and sea defence, in the cause of selfprotection and in the cause of Empire. It is this spirit of Imperial patriotism that makes the citizen of the oversea dominions feel that when he is coming to this country he is leaving “home” to come “home,” even if ho has to face the chilling atmosphere of London-*--the loneliest city in the world. While it is the first duty of the Britisher to defend the Empire from enemies abroad, it is not less a duty to preserve it from internal conflagration. Tiiis duty lies upon both sides in politics. It is the duty of every citizen of the * Empire to use his influence in the right direction, with an utter disregard of party cries, when they conflict with party interest. It is the duty of both parties in England to see that the black hatred buried in the past shall not bo unearthed, now that the green moss of forgetfulness is growing over the grave.