AUSTRALIA'S HIGH COMMISSIONER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2749, 2 March 1910, Page 5

AUSTRALIA'S HIGH COMMISSIONER.

CABLE NEWS.

WELCOMED AT LONDON

United Press Association —Copyright LONDON, Feb. 28.

Newspapers' .publish eulogistic reference to Sir G. IT. Reid, Australian High Commissioner. Sir G. H. Reid was welcomed at Charing Cross, where he wtas met by Sir Charles Lucas and Mr. Lionel Earle, on behalf of Lordi Crewe. The Commonwealth representative and Aigenfs-General also welcomed him.

SIR GEORGE REID ON COMMONWEALTH DEFENCE.

(Received Marcli 1, 10 p.m.)

LONDON, March 1

Sir George Reid on'arrival' was interviewed. He said Lord Kitchener’s visit was one of the most important events in Australian history. Until lately the- impression of Britain’s naval preponderance ntad-c the problems of colonial defence more or less unimportant, but during the last two years the Australian mind on the subject had completely altered. Australia sees, as it never saw before, the urgency of the call the Old Country i s making on her daughters in other lands to help her in the growing pressure the advance of other nations is placing upon her. All political parties were agreed that Australia was ripe for some decisive action before Lord Kitchener arrived, although there was no one there with the requisite authority or experience. There were any number of schemes, but no author in whom the Government or people could place implicit confidence. Lord Kitchener arrived at the psychological moment, and' ga-ve Australia a policy which the Commonwealth would surely and earnestly carry out, and ultimately, in a very few years, the navy and army oi the Commonwealth would count for a great deal in the politics of the Empire. Sir Gerge Reid emphasised the faot that the naval loan, as representing the beginning of Australia’s partin recognition .of (her obligations to the Mother 1 ! and. .must commend) itself .strongly, il' financial houses can be influenced by such sentiments. He dwelt on the (absolute safety of British investments in Australian public enterprises. Mr Reid, referring to immigration, said Australia’s attractions for the right kind of immigrants were so vast and solid that there was no need for methods of exaggeration. 'He added: “We have populations in all the Australian capitals quite out of proportion to that in the interior of the States. A stream- of artisan immigrants would be of very questionable benefit compared to a stream of agricultural immigrants. "We must have a vigorous system of immigration of ivcple belonging to the rural classes.”