Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MARCH 13, 1911. IMPERIAL UNITY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10187, 13 March 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MARCH 13, 1911. IMPERIAL UNITY.

The Imperial Conference, which is" shortly to be held in the Mother Country, wiM bo a momentous gathering of leading politicians—one can j hardly describe them as statesmen-?- ' from the outlying portions of the Empire. . Whether the result of the deliberations, will make for the unity ' and) development of the British Dominions is a matter for pure specula- I tion. The experience of the past has not been such as to encourage the hope that any permanent advantage will be derived from the discussions at the Conference. The resolutions passed at previous Conferences have been carefully pigeon-holed, and have had very little effect in influencing the Home or overseas politics. The position, at the approaching gathering is made the more interesting in view of the recent developments in regard to Canada and ■the United States. Strangely enough, the fiscal question .does not appear upon the agenda paper for the Conference. It goes without saying, however, that the subject will bo introduced an some .form or another, and 'that the tariff relations between the respective Imperial units will be carefully reviewed. At no period in recent history has the British tion been involved in a more serious crisis than at the present, and at no time were more desperate measures ■required to preserve the unity of the Empire. The loyalty and patriotism of the overseas dominions are more imaginary than real. The gift of a Dreadnought and the increasing of the Navy vote have been prompted, by mercenary rather than, patriotic motives. The preference 1 given to British-manufactured goodsi is a sham.; New Zealand, at the present time, is the dumping-ground for for-eign-mairofactured goods, and the people appear to be just as anxious" to keep the foreign trade routes open' for imports as they, do the British routes for. export. "' Imperialism will never he anything real until each uniti" is preparedf to make a r sacrifice for the maintenance of 'British free-

•doni. The ideal to which we should aspire is freetrad'e amongst ourselves and protection against the rest of the world. That is the policy which Germany has adopted, and it is the policy which Great Britain will bo 'compelled to embrace if she wishes to maintain her commercial supremacy.