The Daily News. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1920. THE SPIRIT OF COMRADESHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 December 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1920. THE SPIRIT OF COMRADESHIP.

"All the British nations must work together in a spirit of comradeship if the Empire is to endure." Such is the conclusion arrived at by the Prince of "Wales after his recent tour of the Dominions. The sentiment is not merely a philosophical deduction; it contains the essence of Britain's greatness; emphasises the means whereby the Empire has attained its vast expansion and become a deciding factor in the world's peace, prosperity and freedom. The conception of the most remarkable Empire in the world's history composed of free nations controlling themselves and free to make their own history, yet knit together in a spirit of comradeship, was a happy inspiration on the part of tine Prince, accentuated by the appropriate remarks made by Mr. Lloyd George at the I'ecent welcoane tendered to the Prince by t'Jie city of London. "Everything," said the British Premier, "depends on the existence of an invisible attachment to the Empire, .and the great service of the Princte consisted in the fact that he had strengthened these invisible ties by the remarkable charm of his personality." How permeating was that charm is signalljr evidenced by the unanimity with which the Prince was hailed throughout the Dominions as a

this fact may be attributed the great importance which the | Prince attaches to the spirit of j comradeship—a comradeship that knows no barrier of rank, but is all-embracing, -from the throne to the cottage; a comradeship in which all true hearts beat in unison for the welfare of the whole Empire. It was not the war that created that spirit, for it has been exemplified in countless ways through past ages, but the war exemplified it, caused it to shine brightly through the terrible days of trial and struggle, being always a guarantee of triumph, and adding lustre to the annals of British courage and determination to win through. In the ex-service men the Prince met during his recent tour, and to whom he paid such glowing tribute as being the backbone of the Dominion, he discovered the real secret of the Empire's greatness, founded and developed by virile 1 and indomitable men of action—men of the old bull-dog breed, "diggers" by whom the Prince feels it an honor to be regarded as si comrade. The spirit that took the. old sea captains and explorers across the world in the ages of the past' is thriving lustily in the young British nations to-day. The Dominions, remarked the Prince, are putting their shoulders to the work of nation building and development, and Britain can help them by sending forth emigrants of the right stamp so as to ensure the Empire's population being British. The spirit of comradeship, however, stands for far more than sentiment; or a cherished memory of glorious accomplishments when standing shoulder to shoulder in the war zone. To be real it must be thorough in aim. Sympathy and unity of purpose in peace avocations—the nation building and development. The true test of the spirit of comradeship will be found in the cultivation of industrial peace, the recognition that the general welfare of the community comes be- : fore mere selfish promptings, the' standing shoulder to shoulder on the part of all classes and sections in order to promote the greatest good for the largest number; the concentration on work, the avoidance of strikes and other means of injuring the community; the give and take policy that makes for iiintuat trust and confidence,, and a general desire to promote happiness, prosperity and good fellowship. All this—and morecomes within the beneficent sway of comradeship. That is prQbably ' why the Prince was so keen on coming into personal contact with the children of the Dominions—those in whose hands the future lies—because of the hope of' influencing them to absorb the true spirit of comradeship, solidify the Empire, enlarge its sphere of usefulness, and make its future secure, while eliminating all that tends to lower the high standard of duty which animated the sons of the Empire in their fight for freedom and liberty. The exservice men signify the spirit that should be zealously cultivated, while the shirkers represent that selfishness which is the cause of most of the troubles of to-day. No lesson of the Prince's tour ; is more worthy of being taken to heart than that derived from the spirit of comradeship.