A NOTABLE MEETING.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3488, 17 May 1920, Page 3

A NOTABLE MEETING.

HON. W’. A. VVATT I*};\"l‘]*Jß'.l‘.-“sll\7L‘D.

LONDON, .\:[:Ly 14. cmfwyp e'i:loilx\'hgkqzl

Sir James Mills presided :Lt.(an Aus-tralian-New Zealand luncheou;to ‘non. W. A. Watt. The guests included Lord Ashfield, the High Commissioners, aTl'd Agents-General, Sir Henry G:l.lw-ay, and many Anglo-Austmlians.

l Colonel Anlery_, in supporti'n__r; the ltoast of the guest, said Hon, ‘W. A. :Wat't’s attitude 011 Iniperial polities ‘appealed to him strongly. He paid a tribute to the guest, said the Hon. W. A_ Wattfs attitude on Imperial politics appealed to him stringly. He paid a. tribute to :\ustralia’s indomitable spirit Ihroughout the wa‘r. It. was essential to-(lay that Au.s:tl'alia should be represented by something more than telegranis and documents. Hon. W. A. Watt. came to tell what .»\ustralia. feels, thinks, and wants, also to find out for his colleagues wli-at is happening in all the complicated international problems confronting the Empire. Helcame [_ilb>‘S(?>‘si‘.lg lti.< eol~ leagues’ confidence to get this int'ormation. No one _eould predict what shape Empire development would take, but V\",ll2LtCVOi' its t,lirections_. it. would be the outcome of the ineetin«g of men I of character from Vz!l‘i()n.~_‘. pa.rt.<. Only] along these lines could the limpirel grow. Hon. XV. .-\. \\'att_. I‘eplyin;__r, .sai<l _-ku.< tralians hated war, but had z";1«;c-(l it., They ot’ the south, he said, were oiti—l

Zens of no mean co'il’ntry. True, they lacked lli.<tol-_\;‘, but that \\‘:l.< u f:lTz'Lt time would (;l11’(?. They in .»‘xll.<fl';llizl and New Zoalaud would exploit all God had given them, £lllsl. \\'oul(l. new-1' Shirk their obligations. 'l‘llo_y lxzu] f'ostet'cd pr:.v(lLlCfiol:, ma:lufa<-‘rul'C.~:, and trzulc, and they were doing their best

fo cultivate the arts ml(l..]ifer:Ltlll'c' .~\bovc all, they had s\\-'ung into stel

with Britain's armies. Their meh as.~:i.°~te(l Britain "'5 men to in.<erihe on God '5 lirmmnent deeds of bl';l\'el'y and valour. There was resolution to hold fast the criinson thread binding them as a united people. He hoped the League of Nations would come out of the cradle and spring‘ to v'igo‘rous manhood. but it was having "a. troublesome time in the cradle. He paid a tribute to Colonel Amer}"s work for the colonies. He had enclea’vou‘red to understand the needs of {he far~flung Dominions more fhan any cither man. During his mission Mr Watt. said he would have to give zitrentien to financial mat.ters_, wliieli were difiieult to arrange -by correspondence. There was the question of wool. {He hoped when he had solved this sum it, would serve to help New Zealand in the same direction. He trusted that at the Spa Conference the hand of Britain would not falter, but support Fraiice to extract t'rom Germany all she co‘-_:-l.:l pay. It. \\as a pure economical proposition that payment should be made by Germany, and sentiment should“ not enter into it. He also wanted in the family council ‘-.o malie sure that the Northern ralnp:v'»t. from Samoa to the Bisnuarey .-\r<-,llipe_lago, pas.~'ed ;i.'or e~'.'er from Germanyii sight. c"Ret'e.r)'irlg to emigration, .\l‘r Watt appelll€d;..for the “spill over” from the Blother Coun—try. Australia’s open _.<pa<:es wanted Britain ’s. idle lrands.

Mr Robinson, responding to -the toast of “AListralians,” said he believed Mr VV.a.tt’s visit would result in great benefit to Australia. During his own visit he had been‘- greatly impressed by the manner in which technical research was being developed in all leading universities. He predicted that London would retain her position as the wm-Tdfs financial capital. . '

The Pall Mall Gazette, discussing Hon. W. A. Watts’ “White Australia.’-’ speech. says that ,:Australia might bring up the point of Kiachzffi and the e:«:tram-dinary Japanese immigl'ai'ion to the Hebrides and Australian. Island waters, and the necessity of Japanese recognition of Australia as 21 white couiitry. The King and Queen will entertain T-lon_ \V. A. V’Vait and his wife at luncheon at Buckingham Palace on Fri-

day. Hon. W. A. V’V.:ltt will spcmd Sunday with the Lord Chief Justice and be sworn iii Monday.