EMPIRE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 283, 27 May 1912, Page 5

EMPIRE DAY

CHILDREN'S CELEBRATIONS. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, May 24. Five and a quarter million school children in the United Kingdom, and four and a quarter in the Dominions, celebrated Empire Day. Lord Meath and the Lord Mayor addressed a large gathering in the Guildhall. All the members of the Stock Exchange were present, and sang the National Anthem. The Times published a forty-eight page Empire supplement, chiefly Canadian, also dealing with Australian defence and life in New Zealand. THE JINGO SPIRIT. Sydney, May 25. Father O'Reilly, President of St. Stanislaus' College, Bathurst, said, in a speech on Australia Day, that he did not believe in Empire Day, because it was the avatar of the jino spirit in the Old Country. Young Australia had good reason to hate Imperialism. Australians were deficient in patriotism only because they were taught to look to England for everything; yet their interests were often conflicting, and in the conflict they must be Australian first. CELEBRATIONS IN CANADA. Ottawa, May 24. The Duke of Connaught, addressing the school cadets at the Empire Day celebrations at Toronto, said: "Sometimes we hear foolish remarks concerning militarism. Militarism really means subordination of the laws and organisations of the country to military law and discipline. It is not so in Canada, and never will be. There is no militarism in teaching discipline to enable youths to carry out the primary duties of citizenship."