MOTHERLAND AND COLONIES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3222, 21 June 1909, Page 5

MOTHERLAND AND COLONIES.

AN OPEN SEA ROUTE. MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. Received June 20, 5 p.m. LONDON, June 19. At a banquet held in connection *?ifch the Manchester Ship Canal, there was a large company present, which included the Lord Mayor and a large number of the leading business men and several of the delegates to the Imperial Press Conference. I Mr Ward, of Sydney, said that no serious diminution of Australia's trade was likely in the near future. Eighty per cent, of the Australians were native born, and they would never see England unless some extraordinary revolution in the methods of transit was brought about. The problem of the Australian Press was to show and make the native population understand Britain. The delegates upon their return would strive to shape their papers with a view to doing this effectually. In the event of Britain losing command of the Atlantic, Canada might be able to secure safety by lifting a finger to the United States and becoming merged therein, but Australia might fall into the hands of a power that would force the people to learn a new Language and adopt other social habits. Henee an open ocean route was a matter of life and death to Australia. In time the United Kingdom's navy would become a united Empire Navy. One of the most distressful aspects of English life was the living conditions. Some of the women and children in the English cities'were such deplorable sights—a condition of affairs impossible in Austaralia. Could not England join with, the colonies in bettering the lot ot the poor.

Mr Douglas, of Auckland, said that the Press delegates would return with a deeper conception of the greatness of the Motherland and a warmer affection for her and her people. Mr Temperley, of New ,South Wales, declared that on the question of Empire there was not a jarring note among the colonial Press representatives. All agreed that the colonies must stand together for common defence when the hour of trouble -arrived.