THE BRITISH EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 283, 8 May 1915, Page 5

THE BRITISH EMPIRE.

TilK I);>MINt!)XS' PLACE. IXVWN OF A NKW LilA. lIOX. JAMES AI.I.EX'S PllI'llK'"i'lOX.?. WcllingLoi!. i.a-t Night. Reference to tl.e future (if the Dominions and their place in '.he British Empire w." , made by the Minister for Defence, the Hon. .lame* Allen, at the annual meeting of tile Wellington-branch of the Victoria Loimtic. The Hon. Mr. Allen said that the success of the Empire in this great war depended upon the work and cil'ort of every single individual. " Though we SI nd onr noldiers iiwav to the battlefield. there is much to be done in this country in the interests of the Empire. I i-ee members now busy with their lingers, and that is assisting in a great work. I do not say thc«e are commonplace things to us, but. there arc o Cher problem* forcing theia-elves us. One of these was in relation to the Motherland and the Dominions alter peace had been declared. It had been f.aid that the Honiinimir. were to lie taken into the Imperial eonlideme upon the, pence settlement, li. was very easy to say that the Dominions should be consulted, but it was a very difficult matter Were Xew Zealand and the other dominions to he called to London to discuss the peace terms or were they not, however, was rather beside the point, lie wanted to put, to the league somo of the other problems which the Empire had to face, au<\ all thee centred mm'i 1 the idea of .visile control in the Empire. In the past, these problem* had been settled for lis by the Tinperial statesmen, but such a state of things could not go on for ever. • The g'owtli of the Dominions was a huge problem. Canada was already clamoring at the Imperial door for representation." "We away out here in the rhe'fie," Mr. Allen said, "are no longer pul'ing at the Motherland's apron strings. We have come of age. The Empire cannot remain as it is. The Imperial statesmen cannot always settle our affairs for us. We cannot make anv sudden change; but I believe that with the evolution of time we will live to see this great problem settled for us.

"May I here pause to say that a great nation cannot be built on extravagances', idleness and growth of wealth. Ratliea must it be built on simplicity, earnest endeavor, and, I believe, religou. As I have said, there can he no sudden catastrophe to briii;; about any change in the present state of things, but crailuftlly, events will make that change." Speaking of the Imperial Committee! of Defence, Sir. Allen said he believed that the result of the war would bo more frequent meetings o£ the.commit-' tee. Instead of meeting once in four years, it would probably meet every two years. Xo one doubted the result of tho war. Thev had been told thati the Empire and the British people lnvl degenerated, lie did not think the Britishers were degenerating, font V would not say they had not been on the road to degeneration, rind for all anybody, knew the war was probably! a blessing In disguise. The war had proved unquestionably that the, British still retained their vitality nn<l some that were the. basis of the great nation* nlities. lie believed that as a naton the riritisliei's were still righteous and still humane, (Applau-e.)