A FEDERATED EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 333, 21 June 1911, Page 5

A FEDERATED EMPIRE.

"MARCHING WITH GIANT STRIDES." By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, June 11). The House of Lords and House of Commons welcomed at luncheon 54 oversea Parliamentarians. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Mr. Fisher and Sir J. G. Ward were present. Lord Rosebery, who pre.=!' 1, proposed the guests' health, lb i-fevied to the unique gathering of tin; Parliaments of the Empire, who had come to do homage at the source of all Parliaments in the historic halls. On such an inspiring occasion it was lawful to dream dreams, but did they not see in the Imperial Conference a germ of mightier council representing the aspirations for the united Empire in a defined and permanent form becoming the most august Parliament the world had ever seen?. While not impinging the slightest on tlie domestic affairs of each other, he did not believe the realisation of the dream was far remote. "Our cause is marching with giant strides, and some day we shall wake to find ourselves for Imperial purposes a federated Empire." .

EDUCATING THE PEOPLE | IMPERIALLY. SPEECH BY NEW ZEALAND'S PREMIER. London, June 10. Speaking at the luncheon to overseas Prime Ministers at the Constitutional Club, Sir J.G. Ward, of New Zealand, said that when lie left New Zealand, though he belonged to a particular party, he represented every party in the Dominion, and while in London he and his colleagues at the Imperial Conference were non-party politicians. He, too, cherished Mr. Balfour's dream with regard to the Empire of the future. He recognised that in peace time the Motherland did not reauire the assistance of the overseas Dominions, but in time of trouble they all must stand together. The Dominions were less dependent than formerly on the material assistance of the Motherland, but at the same time there was a possibility of great danger in years to come, unless they had some system of giving the Dominions a more direct voice in the direction of Imperial concerns. As the outcome of the interchange of views at the Imperial Conference, however, some good ought to be achieved. He heartily agreed with Mr. Balfour's statement that there ought,, in great over-riding Imperial affairs, to be no such thing as party interests: the responsibilities were too big. If they expected to do something for the general good, they must educate their people imperially, and get them to act imperially. From that standpoint he believed that the visit of men from the overseas Dominions to the Motherland could not fail to make for the advantage of the common Empire.