The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-12-19
ENGLISH COLONIES
Effort to Bring About
Closer Relations.
The Subject Discussed at a Meet
ing of the British Empire
League at London.

LONDON, Dec. 3.-The Duke of Dey-
onshire, addressing the British Empire
League today at a meeting of that or
ganization at the Guild Hall, said that
the idea of imperial unity was pro-
crossing in some of the colonies as a
practical movement, though those en-
gagged in the movement were in some
degree disappointed. Lord Salisbury
and Mr.. Chamberlain. he said were in
sympathy with the idea, but probably
the time had not yet arrived to settle
the conferences Of the Ottawa prOpos-
ais Still the developments were tend
ing toward unification.
r. r. Dobel moved that the meeting
proceed to the election of officers for
the league for the ensuing year, and
the notion was carried. The Duke of
Devonshire was elected President. A.
J. Balfour and the Marquis of Dufferin
were among the Vice-President chosen.
and r. r. DobeI J. Mcdonald, Sir
Donald A. Smith and Sir Charles Tup-
per were chosen, among others. as
elections were unanimous.
Mr.. DObel delivered speech. in
which he said that Great Britain stood
in the glorious position of having dis
carded ali attempts at a retaliatOry
policy. Canada, he declared, was sec
ond to none of the colnies in her loyal
ty to England: Canada admired the
wonderful success of the United States,
od 20,
forbearance and generosity which this
country has shown. toward the United
States for the last twenty-five years
There was no great reason to hope he
said, that these sentiments had not
been thrown away, and the time was
coming when the United States would |
appreciate them.
The Duke of Devonshire said that the |
merchants of London might suggest the |
means of establishing better under
standing between the home Govern
ment and the colonies Through the
agency of the league great progress
had been made in recent years for
colonial defense. The colonies knew
exactly what the Government would Il
undertake in case of any attack, and
also what would be expected of them
selves. The Government attached the |.
greatest Importance to the renewal in
some form or other of naval arrange
mentS with Australasia. He hoped
that the time would soon come when
another conference would be held to
consider that arrangement and extend
it to the cold colonies, and expressed
the hope that the opportunity would be
taken to reopen the discussion of the
whole question of colonial defense.
The Lord Mayor, who presided, said
that the most fitting manner in which
to celebrate the siXtieth anniversary
Of the reign of Queen Victoria would be
to lay at the feet of the first lady of the
world great scheme for the absolute
and perfect unity of the British empire.
The Duke of DeyOnshire in the course
of his remarks said that the Colonial
Defense Committee, consisting of rep =
resentatives of the War, Colonial and :
Admiralty Offices, had desired him to :
make public to colonial citizens the
principles upon which the plans for
the Colonial Defense Committee were !
based. He proceeded to explain that =
the plans consisted of the maintenance i
of Great Britain's supremacy at sea, d,
upon the basis of a system of imperial
defense against attack from sea at all .
places likely to be attacked The COM
mittee. he added, would advocate the
of adequate fixed defenses and
troops sufficient to cope with any pos
sible enemy.