THE IMPERIAL IDEA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 122, 21 June 1909, Page 2

THE IMPERIAL IDEA

THE COLONIES AMD THE MOTHERLAND. IMPORTANCE OF AN OPEN O<JI£AK ltOl'TE. Received June 20, f>j p.m. London, June in. At a banquet in connection with th<Manchester ship canal there was a largi company, including the Lord Mayor, a large number of leading business men. and several delegates to i..,Press Conference.

Mr. Ashworth (President (if the Chamber of Commerce) deprecated beating t'hc linperhil drum, lie dccland I lint the dire foreboding 01 a rupture 11,1 tween the Motherland ami the depend envies had little counteiuire in cummercial circles in Manchester. .Mr. Ward (Sydney) said no w-nous diminution in Australia's tride wns likely in the near future, whatever Britain's fiscal policy might he. All-1 rxita. being a gold producer, could not be paid in goldjor her wool and dairy produce. Eighty per cent, of Australians were native-born. They would never sie England, unless some extraordinary revolution in the methods of transit was brought about. The problem of the Australian Press was to the native population understand Britain. The delegates their return would strive t»> shniie tile fpoliev their papers wit'i ii view oi doing this effectually. In the event of Britain losing command of the Atlantic, Canada ■ would lie able to secure sofetv by lifting her finger to tlio United Ktnte* and becoming merged therein, but Australia might fall into the bands of a power that would force the people to learn a new language mid adopt other social habits. Hence an open ocean route was a matter of life and death with Australia. Tn time the United Kingdom* navy would become a united Empire navy. One of the most distressful aspects of English life was the living conditions of sonic of the women and children in the English cities. Such deplorable sights were impossible in Australia. Could not England, he asked, join the colonies in lettering the lot of the poof 1 Mr. Douglas (Auckland) said the Press delegates would return with a deeper conception of the greatness of the ■Motherland, and a warmer alVeetion for her and her people. ■ Air. Temperlev (New South Wales) declared that on the question of the ' Empire there was not a jarrmg note ! among the colonial Press represental tives. All were agreed that the colonies ■ must stand together in common defence f when the hour of trouble arrived.