THE DOMINION’S LOYALTY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3215, 11 May 1911, Page 2

THE DOMINION’S LOYALTY.

DOUBTED BY FOSTER FRASER

“Are the Dominions loyal?” is the question asked by Air John Foster Fraser in, “Everybody’s Weekly/’ and he answers it as follows: “Loyalty to Britain as Britain'—there is very little of it in any of the dominions. Love —the affection of the strong young fellow for the old father—yes! But lie is out of date, far past his prime, and he really must not presume to dictate. A growing feeling of self-reliance, independence, without heed of the old man, that is the increasing characteristic, but with the ideal behind of loyalty to the Empire. Yes, here is loyalty to the Empire. It is well to note the difference between loyalty the Empire and loyalty to Great Britain. We confuse them. The man overseas sometimes confuses them in his talk, though the thought may be clear at the back of his head. “Wei will help the Old Country as we did in the South African war/ is a. typical evidence of confused thought. It is riot England which was at war in South Africa, it was the Empire. England can look after herself, but she is realising that she cannot defend all the Empire by herself. To the idela that the dominions should defend themselves, hut that all the nations’ within the Empire should defend the Empire, there is, unquestionably, a strong and sterling loyalty. The prospective is, however, that Britain may possibly become embroiled with another nation over a matter in which the dominions conceive they have no concern Assume—and it is a fair assumption,—that Australia was threatened with invasion by Japan. The Australians would rightly expect the British fleet to go to their aid. But lam not certain if Britain has trouble, say, with the United States about the West Indian Islands, that the majority, of. Australians: would feel -it wris any business of theirs. Conceive that' trouble arose between • Canada and the United States, the: great Dominion would rely upon us. But if unfortunate troub.e came between ourselves, and Germany in regard to African spheres, I am by no means sure that Canada would conceive it her duty to. send troops to fight the Germans.”