IMPERIAL UNITY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10686, 5 August 1912, Page 5

IMPERIAL UNITY

OABLE NEWS

(United Frew Anoriaiion-- By Msv trie Telegraph—Vopyright.)

SPEECH BY BONAR LAW

PREFERENCE TO THE DOMIN-

lONS. (Received last night 5.5 o'clock.) LONDON, August 3. Mr Bonar Law, (Leader of- the Opposition, in proposing tho health of the Canadian guests, at tho Ca.ltoi (J'htb ba'nquet, said that th'o Moth-;.r-land and Canada shared in tho Defence Committee's deliberations. He wa.s weil awaro tjhat the situation was serious, but pressure 'from without tended to weld the parts of the Empire closer together. (>rma.ny's growth in the last generation! in population, wealth and power contrasted with that of tho United Kinguoiii Showed that if they had to rely on ihe resources of tho British Islands alone, the time would soon come when it would be impossible to hear the hurl«>i of a supremo auivy wfliich was netcvsary for the national existence. B'lt, he said the Empire contained far greater resources than any other n?.taion, and we must co-operate the Empire both in war and in t ; <>.-5 of peaoo. The Unionists were then - fore advocates of Imperial preference. That, lie' &r>;tl, was unfortunately a party question in the Motherland, 1 11 not in Canada and the other self-gov-erning DomitiVony. The Premiers of those Dominions, representing all parties at the Imperial Conferences, urged the {Motherland to adopt tho principle enabling ono portion: of the Empire' to treat the other portion <n be\ J .?r terps than the rest of tho world, 'ilicbulk of the people of the Motherland looked „tor an Imperial Parliament to share tho~ro&pon-.«ibi.lity : and glory d governing the Empire. That, lie said, was. r.ot far distant.

Hoii. K. L. Borden, Premier oi Canada, in responding, said that t'us Dominion was prepared to si'nre tho work of securely binding the'Kmnire. and thus preserve Vy its ajrcj.t force the cause ofhumarticy,, ji:.stice a.'Wl peace throughout the- world. '!'..*• Uanadia.ii 7 he .said, .was joatous of A-.is own focal independence, and lie won Id. not presume to. interfere or make su t >; gestions as. to the domestic .r fiscal concerns of any part of the Empire, but subject to that ?,\K>lifica6ion,. lie had always held the idea of commercial co-operation in- all parts of the Empire. His cblloacues and himself hoped shortly to announce the rcfui.t of their deilibera'tion-s,-.making for ilw •strengthening of the Elrnpire, and tilw.advancement of Mr Bonar Law's gtvit and ideal organisation.