A POLITICAL SPEECH.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 862, 9 April 1903, Page 2

A POLITICAL SPEECH.

VIEWS ON FEDERATION AND THE NAVY.

By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. Received 111.30 p.m., April 8. LONDON, April ...Sir William McMillan, of Sydney, addressing the Australian Chamber of Commerce, said that the principal question of practical politics was how to evoke the political union of three great federated nations— Australia, Canada, and South Africaeach with an essentially different climate. The surrounding of the union should he elastic enough to allow each sphere to move freely in its own orbit; ... Sea-girt Australia was widely different to the others. 'The difficulty lay iu Australians being a British Western people with an Eastern destiny. The first duty was to secure peaceful industry aud trade with the whole world on amicable principles. Therefore the Empire ought to pause before putting herself io commercial antagonism with other countries. Political union may result in the most enormous- force iu the world, hut it must not tie the strings too closely,. He did not favor the suggestion of New Zealand to found a Pacific federation, which would be disastrous to the Empire. Australian and New Zealand federations might have differences- which Ihe Motherland would he unable to

adjust.... Australia would secure an excellent bargain if it got the benefit of the Imperial Navy for double or treble the amount now asked. The idea of an Australian navy was midsummer madness. The exclusion of the latter had terribly humiliated the Australian Commonwealth. No decent British subject should be excluded. He rejoiced that public opinion had awakened to the rather fast and reckless expenditure. He regarded the idea that the Slate must find employment for people to he a most vicious principle.