The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 1922. THE EMPIRE’S MISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1922, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 1922. THE EMPIRE’S MISSION.

Whatever’ were the motives which inspired New Zealand’s High Commissioner (Sir James Allen) to propound the two questions which he put to Field-Marshal Sir Henry Wilson at the Anzae Day luncheon in London, at ■ which this distinguished soldier was the guest of honor, there can be no doubt that the reply was hardly what Sir James Allen expected. In the first place it is probable that most- sober-minded people would consider that the High Commissioner perpetrated a deplorable error of judgment in asking the ex-Chief of Staff to sit in judgment on the British authorities, and the very tactfully implied rebuke administered by Sir Henry Wilson when he said he would have liked, 1 ‘ three months ago, when Chief-of-Staff, ” to answer the inquiry as to “whether the Motherland authorities had made provision for that co-ordina-tion for the defence of the Empire which,” according to Sir Jas. Allen, “many believed was lacking in 1914. ’ ’ In adopting that attitude Sir Henry Wilson delicately reminded his questioner that there were such things as honorable traditions in the British service, and by so doing may have conveyed another moral to his questioner, namely, that it was not playing the game for a representative of a Dominion to express lack of faith in the League of Nations’ ability to maintain a permanent is, however, inadvisable to attach i importance to utterances by the i High Commissioner that would have far better been unvoiced. What really matters is to be found in the views expressed by Sir Henry Wilson on Britain’s method of Empire-building, and the mission of the Empire in forbidding I war. Many British statesmen I have used their eloquence on the | theme of the building of the EmI pire, font with a true comprehen- | sion of the subject, Sir Henry | Wilson, in a few sentences, des scribed what the Empire was and I what its mission is. Naturally the events of 1914 were mentioned as demonstrating the success of Britain’s Empire - building. They formed the acid test that revealed the pure gold, of British manhood t.he world over, with hearts throbbing in unison, “to help not only !the Motherland, but the principles for which she stood. . . . In the whole history of Empire-build-ing there has been nothing to equal that.” Possibly this brilliant soldier went somewhat fur- , ther than he meant to go when he L said he “was one of those who 1 thought that if their rulers had I not been afraid to set out in front f ef the world all the majesty of the t power of the British Empire, there I would have been no war.” The I fact, is that neither the Mother- , land nor the world had any. true

conception of that “majesty of power” until it was revealed and demonstrated by the sons of the Empire in such a convincing manner during the war that fully justifies Sir Henry Wilson’s faith that “if the present and future rulers are not afraid to set out the magnificence and power of this Empire, there will be no great war in the future.” Britain now knows, and so do all the nations, the strength and power of the Empire, the solidarity of which is such as to impress the world as a restraining influence, and an inspiratiqn for peace and amity. Without doubt the British Empire and its citizens must shoulder the responsibilities attaching to such a vast world Power. Both) at Washington and Genoa those responsibilities became potent factors for tolerance, wisdom, justice and freedom. The reason why the full recognition of the responsibilities should always be in evidence is that the Empire stands for world progress, the upliftment of humanity, and the courage to do right, as well as to defend the right, to protect, the weak, and to hold the strong in check, to be strong in well doing. To no more fitting use can the Empire’s strength be put than to carry out its great mission as a war-forbid-din'g Power. Sir Henry Wilson is to be congratulated on striking exactly the right chord in his Anzae Day speech Knowing as he does the might, majesty and power of the British Empire, he urged courage to use these attributes in the right, way, and the draft European Pact that the British Premier has submitted to the Conference at Genoa, the object of which is to maintain peace, is clear proof that Britain’s aim is to promote universal peace by encouraging the nations to settle all disputes amicably and free themselves from the burdens of armament. Once this aim is achieved, the settlement, of industrial troubles should present no difficulties, especially if the Empire spirit enters into the adjustment of internal as well as external affairs.