SELF-SUSTAINED EMPIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 10 January 1917, Page 5

SELF-SUSTAINED EMPIRE

r'UTORE DEVELOPMENT. | NEW ZEALAND'S SHA. . The subject of Imperial development after the war was recently discussed by J the Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister for 'Munitions, in an article written, us president of the Overseas Club in New Zealand for the chib's >v<rseas magazine. "In the future it must be our , first duty to ensure," Mr. Myers wrote, "that our wealth and resources shall be !dcvelopcd i tmd exploited in the interest.; of the Empii,:, first and 'tircmoa -md afterwards in the maintain,ng J .■'•..u,rural friendly relationships wit:, <i»r jjalhint allies, lhi uiviiiliaatiun v: !! V ". resource: of the Eiiipire infers tlu '-cloki joint imperial acti..n in defence, foreign policy, and economic policy," Reviewing the defensive measures adopted in New Zealand, Mr Myers said that one of the future obligations of the Dominion would be to furnish nil air fleet, for Dominion and imperial defence, modelled 011 the lines of the Royal Flying Corps. Judging by the l'ccords already established during the war by aviators from New Zealand, the personnel of the New Zealand air fleet, when it is brought into l-eing, will be fully worthy to be entrusted with the responsibility of creating for the Dominion her now aim of defence.

''As to future relationships between the Mother Country and the daughter States,'' Mr. Myers continued, "New Zealand, having given herself wholly and irrevocably to the cause 0? the Mother Country and of civilisation during the present crisis, looks with confidence to being taken closer into the councils of Empire. "In regard to the demand that lias arisen for the outlining 01 a joint economic policy, to us in New Zealand the ideal of a. self-contained, self-supporting Empire is a practicable proposition, and one towards the realisation of which the National tiovernment has taken the first step in ensuring that, so far as this Dominion is concerned, the demand for 'llritish goods for British people' shall be fully and promptly met. The ability of the Empire ultimately to beeomo a self-sustaining entity cannot be questioned. The attainment of this end would be brought very much the nearer, however, were the Legislatures of the Mother Country and the Overseas Dominions consciously and deliberately to set to wort to evolve a comprehensive scheme of consolidation. Imperial affairs, whether of defence, foreign policy, or commerce, should be. settled Imperially, and not parochially. We need a thinking centre, an exchange for the transmission of commercial and economic knowledge, by means of -which every part of our far-flung dominion., might have ready access to the existing state of affairs in economic matters.

"Ne# Zealand is prepared to give her support to any and every wise project brought forward with the object of coordinating the resources and advancing the interests oi the Empire. While she recognises that it is the ultimate and the higher ambition to endeavor to foster harmonious relationships with the whole world, she urges that the policy of 'Self-development first!' is the one that should claim the.adherence of every, Britisli citizen, and she thoroughly endorses the determination that the triumph of our arms on the field of battle must he followed by a vigorous and sustained effort to effect an equally decisive victory in the economic arena."