AUSTRALIA AND MOTHERLAND

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 328, 21 January 1909, Page 2

AUSTRALIA AND MOTHERLAND

A.S IMPORTANT UATHEKINC. UNO) MIRTIUOTE ENTERTAINF.U. .'EI-.tll BY THE SECRETARY FOR Till-: COLONIES. Received 20, 10.23 p.m. Loudon, January 211. Lord Xonheoie, ex-(ioveruor-(';eneral o( Hie Australian t'ommonviiallh, was entertained ait a dinner al the Whitehall mollis. Two hundred and thirty were present, including the Duke of .Mirfolk. Lord liosilicry, the Duke of Marlborough, Lord Salisbury, Lord .iiralhco.ia, Lord Milner, Rt. Hon. Alfred L/.Uvlion, Lord Tennyson, Lord 'iiras-cy, Mr. Lloyd-Oeorge, Lord Ampthill, Lord Laiumiiigton, Earl Longford, Karl Icrsev. Urd MnvDonnell and the

Agents-tlenera). New Zealand's High (oniiuissioner, Mr llall-.lonv». proposed the toust of the King and Oueen and the Royal Family, dwelling on the loyalty of New Zealand .hid the deep all'ection'felt by the colonits for the Motherland. Karl Crewe, Secretary of State for 111 Colonies (who presided) proposed the luas-t of l/ird NorthcoU', who, he -aid, hud not returned a worn-out gladiator, laying down his arms for good. On the contrary, he had his weapons well cleaned and bright, "and who knows,' added the speaker, "how soon lie may lae called to use them again in the service of the Empire?" Lord Northcole posst-ssed many claims for esteem and regard, apart from his hereditary chums for statesmanship. lie had a rare and valuable experience of high ollice in two of the great divisions of the Empire. Earl Crewe said he did | not believe the colonies were destined

to split away from tlio Motherland or •the Motherland split away from the colonies. The centrifugal forces were alight ami few compared with tlie centripetal. He remarked that as generation follow«d generation the actual tie of bipod 'must lessen to some extent. Un'-the other hand, there was a number of" forces making for union. He instanced the very real link supplied by the Crown ever improving the means of transit and comrmmie»tiou, and by the prospect of being able to draw the defensive forces of the whole Umpire into a unity which could, he said, not bo cari'ii'd on with identity of methods,

flmt by a distinct understanding upon what defence of Empire meant by identity of purpose and action (cheers). The Imperial Conference, had done much in ithe past and could do more, in the future, to secure greater unity, and, if possible, closer communication. An incomparably more difficult problem was to decide' on the future relations respectively iK'twecn the Motherland, the dominions of India and the rest of the anionics. Its solution would require ithe help of the very bent heads in the dOiiipint and Among those there were none whose opinion was more valuable than ijord Xorthcotc's. If the hearty welcome and generous l friendships made the task of the Governor-General of the iConimonwenlth in some respects easy, the occupant was confronted with difficulties requiring the exceptional qualities of tact, patience, courage ind 'impartiality, not often united in one ■man. It had been Lord Northcote's privilege to lend a guiding hand to the Commonwealth as it rose from boyhood to the strong manhood it had reached, lie showed that he possessed the very qualities just mentioned. He had witnessed some difficulties relative to the functions of the Commonwealth and .state, difficulties which must neither be ignored nor over-rated, i Karl Crewe continued: "They naturally belonged to the delimitations end functions after the foundation of the Commonwealth. If anybody inclined to Hake a really serious view of those difficulties he might be reassured by a perusal of similar problems confronting the (American Union from 1782 to 1888." ,Knrl Crewe finally mentioned the necessity for increasing the white population is the pressing Australian problem, but 'he believed immigrants of the right kind would Ue welcomed wwrtnly. i The toa.st was drunk with acclama- ! tion. Cheers were given for Lord and ' Lady Xorthcote.

> LOR© NORTHCOTES REPLY

'AUSTRALIA'S PRESSING PROBLEM. Lord Nortlieotc, on rising, waa ovaHioned. Lite said lie was proud of the (opportunity of serving the Empire in India and Australia. Many present iwould corroborate him in saying that .the people of Australia would endeavor ut all times to show the King's representatives cordial kindness and warmth of feeling which made erne feel one hud Ibut exchanged one home for another. Australians of all parties were absolutely agreed on loyalty to the throne and the Empire. The King's great personal popularity in Australia waa very real and of material benefit to his representative there. ]»rd Northcote fully endorsed Earl Crewe's reference to" the infinitely greater difficulties attending the American settlement after the termination of the War of Independence. Australia's difficulties were "teething troubles," mere trifles compared with the American troubles. Australia had a less- difficult task than Canada, who had successfully accomplished the blending of two great nationalities. Some people in Australia thought the advent of federation meant the Millenium. A considerable minority who opposed federation not unnaturally made themselves heard when tlie Commonwealth first confronted some temporary difficulty. (Doubtless the Federal constitution contained the relative rights of States and Common•wealth. If the Millenium had not arrived yet very great material benefit* Jiad already accrued to Australia from toleration. The great mass of quiet country voters appreciated very deeply the removal of harriers to free interMate commerce, and would not readilf assent to the re-establishment of anv such drawbacks. The people every year were getting more used to the new state of affairs. It must be remembered 'that the highly-respected High Court was authoritatively entrusted with deining the respective rights and privi•eges of the States «ul Commonwealth. 'tie. therefore looked for mini without a shadow or shade of apprehension to a continuity of the federal system. *us'tralias greatest difficulty "was the'necessity of increasing its population. No vloul.t occasional mistaken in regard to immigration, caused by zealous officials 'luiil' created a prejudice against Australia Anything in the nature of a «ixed desire to exclude from the Com'mouwenlth nun able to sustain themselves by their labor never existed. Aus'tralinns .km) unemployable of their own

•iind were not prepared to import more from the Old Country. t fiegarding colored 'immigration, Lord 'Northoote continued, Britishers do well 'to consider that from the Australian sundpo.nt the British views were " J'h.vMcnl impossibility. Britain was be<>»S! >waiiiped by. the colored laborer, »'"t Australia mis differently placed re■Sinrding Asiatics. Therefore it was «niitp conceivable from the Australian Stan, point that miles, tl lo Australians nijrnl y secured themselves against tho jx-ssiD My of being swamped by Asiatic 'labor they may be confronted by a problem oven more serious than tl'ie great Negro I|m .,tion of the United States. Allien depended upon Australia's ability ;t'> populate the huge Northern Terri•lory with whites. He Hesitated to proiiounic a definite opinion on the subject. Jle believed it possible that -teal'-, .(iber and careful white men J'oulil . -nle in that great tropical land.

I mt : iviti „ very serious mutter how ;"'"."'■. '■'""iilc «'iis suitable for women ami i .i:luren. umi w heth«r we could 'Hope that in Mir course of n ceiirratton . | w Healthy and virile race could «mtiiiii« 'to livo and breed in such n climate. At I'resent. there were only 2000 whites in •half a million square miles. It wan impossible to hope br wish that that state u f tiling would iudeflnitely con'tinuc. Evidently n settlement of the'.Northern Territory w,, s one of the very Ki'o.itcst questions confronting Australia. U must be remembered, he eontiiiued. that if, instead of the present V-onMiil frielnMiip, wc were on ban* tonus witluChiun or Japan, it would bo 'possible for an Asia tie force to seize ll'ort, Darwin and march southward tit leisure. It was impossible for fivo million* hi' Europeans, n o mutter how hardy ■tliey were, "to defend and develop a

eonliiient which was three-fold the she «f Europe. Xpitlipr numerically nor finbitifinlly were they ahlo lo do it. They hmi*.t rely for n considerable time on the «ill of the Motherland. In time of need the Umpire's resources would not be •;•• Imiitiihle. mid with n world-wide Km-

\>m\ llritain might he, willed upon to make great wriliepa in nil parts n f Hi,. 'globe. The amount of uiit Australia Miulil expect from the Motherland win •necessarily limited, mid Australia must J lie largely ilenradent upon herself for Defence. Whilst unaldo nt present |o '.•ontribute very materially in men and ■money to that defence, she eoiild ren- | Uer a meat service to the Kmnlre ami l 'herself by co-opcratlm? vigorously with |u liberal policy of Immigration whichm'oiid return to the British domlnlm^ number* now .diverts to.loitjl«i oSuv-'j AriM -