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THE BRITISH EMPIRE.

A KEAL LEAGUE OF NATIONS. THJ3 WIDER PATRIOTISM. An estimate 'of the future development of Imperial relations av.il .some observation* on imperial questions formed the subject of an address by Lord Miluer, Secretary of State, for the Colonies, before the Manchester branch of the Koyal Colonial Institute. "We are at long last waking up as a nation not only to the great present importance of the Empire, but to its almost boundless potentialities of future growth," said Lord Milner. "For many, many j-cars wo thought but little about tltem, verv few of us fully realise them even now. Speaking for myself, the contemplation of that Empire always Jills me .with something like awe "The relations of the Dominions to (lie Mother Country have for years past been steadily undergoing, a great change, a transformation now almost completed. They aro no longer colonies,- tut nations intensely conscious of their nationhood. They have played as big a part in this war as any but what are called 'the Great Powers.' They way reasonably look forward to a future in which they Will themselves be reckoned among the Great Powers of the world. Yet they all desire (sueli is our unparalleled good fortune) to remain within the Empire. If that desire is fulfilled th« world will tee a new kind of political unit, a permanent association of Great Powers under a single head. The Empire will be, in fact it already is. a, league of nations, whether or not it is embraced in a greater but less closely compacted league. And it possesses a ,moral unity which that greater league, when it comes into existence, will st/ 11 have to acquire. For the ties which bind to- | getlier the numbers of the British League of Nations are no work of arI tifice, but a natural growth, the work of time."

BASIS OP LASTING UNITY, Referring to the "groat anil far-reach-ing change in the unwritten constitution of "the Empire"—the participation of the Dominion Prime Ministers in the Imperial War Cabinet, Lord Milner said, "that tile Dominions should continue to liave a real share, in peace, in the conduct of all affairs which affect them as much as us—foreign relations, defence, inter-Imperial trade and communica-tions—-must be the paramount do,sire of every man who wishes to see the continuance of the British League of Nations. For no amount of goodwill and affection between the people ef its several States will enable the "British Empire to exercise its proper iffiuence in the world—and it is a beneficent and .v pacific influence —unless we maintain and preserve the means of continuously planning and acting together. "But. on the other hand, it is equally true that no machinery, however well devised, no cabinet, or council, or conference, can avail us, unless we preserve the moral unitv of the Empire. That is the real basis nf the who!:' thing. We must cultivate what before now I have ventured to call the wider patriotism, the sense of our citizenship in this super-State. The material for doing so is afforded us in ample measure bv family relationship, bv common language and literature, common traditions and ideals, by sinii'nr institutions, bv an ever-growing intimacy of intercourse, material and intellectual. Bt everv menus in our power we must strive to strengthen rind multiple these invisible but -powerful bonds And in that resnect the prosnwss of ?r'enee aiul invention are of immense asvtpneo ns. Just think what the .rr='tin and Hie aeroplane will do to pull the Empire together. PREFERENCE TN ALL THINGS.

"It is from this point of view that, 6peakmg for. myself, I attach so much importance to the principle of Imperial preference. I know that the mcncion of that word awakens memories of old political controversies, which in course of time became, to my thinking, very tiresome. I wish we could hury these controversies, which have_ needlessly divided men whose real objects were not dissimilar, and look at the whole subject from a new and Wider point of view. It has been too much discussed as if it was only a question of tariffs. And I frankly admit that, in my opinion, so far as you have a tariff—and it is common ground that every self-gov-evuing State of the Empire may have as much or as little tariff as it pleases--it is only natural and right that this tariff should fall more liglitlv upon Empire goods than upon foreign goods. That 'is the view taken bv the Dominions. It ir. the view taken by every foreign nation, including the United States, with regard to trade with countries under its flag. ""Rut if there was no sncli thing as a tariff at all, the principle of Imperial Preference would still hold good. For what really is the idea at the root of it? Quite simplv it is this that we arc a family of Ziations and that in all our policy and dealings the interest o5 the family should come first. A man is not a less good citizen because he looks after the legitimate interests of his own family. And T maintain that it is not necessary that becaive an Englishman believes—as from the bottom of mr heart I do believe—in fair_dealinn- between nations, in the solidarity of interest of all nations, he should therefore .10 in for a washy internationalism, and pretend that he cares as much about the welfare of Paraguay and Bolivia, or even of foreign countries much closer to lis, as he docs about that of Canada, or Australia, or South Africa, or New Zealand. It may he very wicked of me, but Ido not care as much I want to see the resources of every part of the Empire, in so far as tliov are not needed for its own development, devoted, not exclusively, but first and fnrnmosj,, to builil'ng_up the strength and prosperity of its other parts. I f„>l timt about emigration, I feel it about the investment of capital, I feel it about a score of nrntters, which I may have to deal with any day of the week."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19190721.2.75

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1919, Page 12

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,017

THE BRITISH EMPIRE. Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1919, Page 12

THE BRITISH EMPIRE. Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1919, Page 12

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