The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-04

Absolute Unity Is Urged by
Several Distinguished
Speakers.
Plans Discussed fer the Protection of
All Possessions From Foreign
Naval Attacks.

LONDON, ENG, Dec. 3.-The Duke Of
Devonshire, addressing the British EN-
pire League, to-day at meeting of that
organization at the Guildhall, said that
the idea of imperial unity was progress
ing in some of the colonies as practical
movement, though those engaged in the
movement were in some degree disap-
pointed. Lord Salisbury and Mr.. Cham
berlain, he said, were in sympathy with
the idea, but probably the time had not
yet arrived to settle the proposals OF the
Ottawa conference. Still the develop
ments were tending toward unification.
r. R. Dobetl moved that the meet
ing proceed to the election of officers for
the league for the ensuing year, and the
motion was carried. The Duke of Devon
shire was elected president. A. J..
Balfour and the Marquis of Dufferin were
among the vice-pres1dents chosen, and R..
H. Dobell, J. Mcdonald, Sir Donald A.
Smith and Sir Charles Topper were
chosen among others as members of the
council. All the elections were unani-
nous.
Mr.. Dobell delivered speech in which
he said that Great Britain stood in the
glorious position of having discarded all
attempts at retaliatory policy. Canada,
he declared, was second to none of the
colonies in her loyalty to England.
Canada admired the wonderful success of
the United States. but had a greater ad-
miration for the forbearance and gener-
osity which this country has shown toward
the United States for the last twenty-five
years. There was great reason to hope,
he said, that these sentiments had not
been thrown away, and the time was COM
ing when the United States would appre-
ciate them.
The Duke of Devonshire said that the
merchants OF London might suggest the
means of establishing better understand
ing between the home Government 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 Govern
ment would undertake in case OF an 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 arrangements with Aus
tralia. He hoped that the time would
soon come when another conference
would De helQ TO consider tDat arrange
ment and extend it to the old colonies,
and expressed the hope that the oppor-
tunity would be taken to reopen the dis
cussion 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, a
great scheme for the absolute and perfect
unity OF the British empire. [Great
cheering.
The Duke of Devonskire, in the course
of his remarks, said that the colonial de-
tense com mittee. consisting of representa-
tives of the war, colonial and admiralty
offices, had desired him to make public to
colonial citizens the principles upon
which the plans of the colonial defense
committee was based. He proceeded 10
explain that the plans consisted of the
maintenance of Great Britain's supremacy
al sea upon the basis OF system OF i'm
perial defense against attack from sea at
all places likely to be attacked. The COM
mittee, he added would advocate the cre-
alton of adequate fixed defenses ard
troops sufficient to cope with any possible
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