Britain and Colonies

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 207, 2 March 1914, Page 5

Britain and Colonies

IX PEACE AXD WAH,

A STIRIUXC SI'KECAi. Jiy Cable—Press Association—Copyright Received 2, )■!:.',:, ji.iu. Sydney, March ]. (.'eneral Sir ian Hamilton was enter, tained to dinner by the Smith African Association. Senator Milieu said that in the assistance which Australia,. Xew Zealand and Canada rendered the Kmpire during the South African war, there was involved a much more important question tint the mere sending of volunteer forces to take. part. Australia, like the rest of the. Dominions, had been from infancy reaping the benefits of her great Imperial connection by having times of peace and prosperity, but when the time of adversity came there was a ready responsive reply from one end of the dominions to the other. Up to that period it was not known what attitude the dominions would take in times of war, but they had made it abundantly clear that in peace or at war tlie.v were a part of the Kmpire. Three great things in the history of Australia were its foundation, the gift of responsible government, and the great epochmaking event when Australia, New Zenland and Canada declared their partnership in the Empire for good or ill. Kegarding the English criticisms on the defence system, Senator Milieu said he trusted that General Hamilton would tell the people of England that tlie compulsory training system of the Commonwealth rested on something more substantial that military jingoism. Many thousands were loyally and honestly doing their duty.