UNITING THE EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1920, Page 10

UNITING THE EMPIRE.

PERSONAL TOUCH NEEDED. . SIR J. ALLEN'S WELCOME. London, July 15. The need for close and personal touch between the Mother Country and the Dominions in the coming years was the chief note in the speeches delivered at a luncheon given by the Australian and New Zealand Luncheon Club this week to welcome Sir James Allen. The High Commissioners for Australia and Canada were there, the Agents-General of Australia, numbers of eminent men, and a very large gathering cf the colony of New Zealand in London. Sir Thomas Mackenzie occupied the chair,* but the principal toast of "Our Guest" was proposed by Colonel L. S. Amery, the UnderSecretary of State for the Colonies. Lord Blyth was seated on the left of the chairman, and among those at the principal table were Lord Islington* and Sir Joseph Ward, tbiß being the first public function at which Sir Joseph has appeared. Colonel Amery first paid a tribute to the High Commissioner. "I am certainly voicing the opinion of all," he declared, "when' I say how much we have appreciated all that Sir Thomas Mackenzie hag done, and how much we shall regfet losing him from our midst. He will carry back with him the good wishes of a very large circle of friends," lij was a great privilege to welcome Sir James Allen as High Commissioner for New Zealapd. Sir Jame3 had .borne a very great par.t in carrying on the work of the Government of New Zealand during the anxious and critical years of war. Sir James himself had also made a heavy personal sacrifice, for he had lost a son, a son who had given promise of great things. Sir James Allen, continued Colonel Amery, had come at a critical and important period of the British Empire. The growth of the Dominions was creating a new factor, and their minds must be readjusted before they could really come forward with any constructive policy. One thing that mattered was that the men who count in the British Empire Governments should be in direct personal and human touch with each other. He liqlieved 4hat there was so much in common in the minds of the statesmen of the 'Empire that if they met at the same table, they need never doubt that they would arrive at a clear agreement. It was only when they did not meet and tried to arrange matters by cablegrams that disagreement arose. /Every Government in the Empire should be represented in London, and those representatives should he given abundant power and confidence, and the interests of the Dominion should be kept continuously before the Imperial Government. New Zealand was wise in sending as High Commissioner a man who had been in the innermost councils of the Empire, and who could speak to the British Government with knowledge, and make things thoroughly clear to them. Sir James realised fully the importance of keeping in touch with the larger problems of the whole Empire, as well as looking after matters connected with New Zealand and in him they had a worthy and capable representative of that Dominion. Sir James Allen, after expressing his thanks for all the kindnesses he had received since his arrival in England, eulogised the work of his predecessor in office. Tlife Government of New Zealand did appreciate the work accomplished by Sir Thomas Mackenzie, and he thanked .him on behalf of the Dominion. He knew the difficult tuck lie had before him, but lie hoped to be able to carry on successfully the work that had been done. He agreed with Colonel Amery that there would be no possibility of real union of the Empire unless our statesmen were constantly in contact one with another. That was the difficulty he saw in the future. He came here fresh from New Zealand, and knew what the Dominion thought to-daybut in 12 months' time lie might not know, and he might not be able to interpret their aspirations as he could to-day. He would do his best to keep in touch with his country, but New Zealand sometimes seemed to forget its representative in London.