New-York tribune., 1907-04-20
DEAK[N ST[RS BRITONS.
PREDICTS WAR IN EAST.
Urges Colonial Independence-Pre-
miers Guests of Pilgrims.

London, April 19-Fied Marshal Lord Rob
erts presided at dinner given this evening at
Clardge's by the Pilgrims in honor Of the colo
NAL prime ministers. who are in London attend
ing the colonial conference. It was the most
brilliant of the honors paid TO the visiting
premiers since their arrival in this city.
The members of the society and their guests
numbered three hundred and fifty. Twice that
number would have attended. but many appli
cations We're refused because of the lack Of
accommodations. At the same table with Lord
Roberts sat Whitelaw Reid. the American Am
bassador: Sir Edward Grey. the Foreign secre-
tary; Lord strathcona. the Canadian High
Commissioner; Alfred Deakin. the Premier Of
Australia and the Duke Of Devonshire.
The government was represented by ma
jority of the members Of the Cabinet. and. in
addition. many Of the most prominent men at
the bar. in the Church and in the commercial
world sat down at the tables The Duke of
Argyll Austen Chamberlain. Winston Spencer
Churchill Lord Fairfax. Lord Esher Lord F'itz-
maurice. Rider Haggard. Lord Klnnaird. Arch
deacon Sinclair. the Duke Of Sutherland. Field
Marshal Sir George White General Lord
Methuen, General Nicholson and Harry Z. Brit
tain were among those present. Sir wiifrid
Laurier the Premier of Canada: General Louis
Botha, Premier of the Transvaal and DR..
and Canada alone among the colonies was with
out spokesman.
Those who made speeches We're Sir Edward
Grey, Alfred Deakin, Sir Joseph Ward, Premier
Of New Zealand: Alfred Lyttelton. T. W. Smart.
Commissioner Of Public Works for Cape Colony.
who spoke for DIR. Jameson, who is i'll; the Duke
of Devonshire and Lord Roberts.
Sir Edward Grey. in his address. referred to
the mistake Great Britain had made in her
colonial policy in a former century. and said he
was sure this would not be repeated Lord Rob
erts and Mr.. Smart spoke of the reunion OF
the Anglo Saxon nation and reminded their
hearers that Americans were taking part in the
celebration of the evening.
The most striking addresses We're delivered by
Sir Edward Grey and Alfred Deakln Sir Ed
ward remarked he feared the colonsts found the
Colonial Office much further from the colonies
than the colonies from the Colonial ONCE.
Mr.. Deakn dealt with international problems in
words which are likely to cause a stir among
British diplomats. He said il was fact that
the Colonial Office was further from the colonies
than the colonies were from the Colonial Office,
and he emphasized the claim that the colonies
should be Independent nations. He said il was
refreshing" to come TO London and talk with
the government face TO face. He promised tha,
Australia next year would found "A system
whereby she could defend herself in case Of
war without assistance from the mother country.
He emphasized the fact that the problems OF
Australia were not the problems of England.
saving the mother country had no Aslatic pop
ulations as menacirg rivals
Then, referring obviously TO the German oc-
cupation OF the New HebTides the Premier OF
Australia said he wished IL TO be noted that
England had not allowed q rival European ma
tion to get foothold close to Australia without
a warning from Australia While tho British
navy had not been called On I'm a test of sea
supremacy in the last century. the speaker said
this would happen in the next hundred years.
Without mentioning nations by name. he pre-
dicted pointedly that there would be war for the
supremacy of the Pacific with Germany and
japan