Norwich bulletin., 1922-12-29
HISTORIANS ADDRESSED BY
 SIR ROBERT LAIRD BORDEN

New Haven, Dec 2S-Ties Tight as air but strong as iron" are holding the free, autonomous and cooperating com munities'' of the British Empire in a closer union than any written document or formal constitution, said Sir Robert Laird Borden, former war premier of Canada, who addressed the session of the American Historical association at Yale university tonight.
 Sir Roberts address on Features of external Relations of the British Com monwealth of Nations traced the de- velopment of Canada into autonomous nationhood within the British league of nations," and held that essential politi- cal unity was a thing of the spirit and not bond of peachment.
 T am one of those who believe he said, that the essential unity of the i commonwealth has in no sense been di-
 ninished by it's development into an or ganization which is virtually Brittanic league of nations. It seems paradoxi- cal to affirm that as it's ties have, in form become looSer they have in truth become stSonger; yet this was demon fstrated beyond question when the storm of war broke upon the world in 1914" In speaking of Canada as an autonom- ous dominion within an imperial com monWealth, Sir Robert spoke of respon-
 sible and democratic government as a
 condition which was mot to be consid- l cred as depending upon concession by 8 paramount authority, but rather to be i regarded as having grown out of inner ent right"
 l Referring to the league of nations Sir Robert said: "The worlds unity foI lpeace must be found in the realization of public right and international jus tice and in the understanding and coop
 eration that can only be gained around
 8 common council board; and these es Isentials cannot be secured without a recognized system of periodical inter- national conferences at which represen tatives of the nations shall meet upor leQual footing.
 Although denied the powerful aid O the United States, the league of nation: has accomplished great things for tn' worlds peace during the last three years On at least four occasions the league hal Iprevented the outbreak of war in Europe Never lH:ore has the habit of interna tional consultation and cooperation s'
 impressed itself upon the nations
 Sir Robert also referred to the direc diplomatic representation of Canada a
 Washington and told of the discussion
 between the Canadian prime ministe and the British prime minister durini l191S and 1919 leading to the appointmen tOL d A1AuAolCA OJ AAAe- tjesty to take charge of purely Canadian ) representatives at the disarmament con ference last fall, Sir Robert said: "Hav Ing regard to the importance and sig 1nificance of the conference it was wisel decided that the absence of a special in ssvitatiCn should be overlooked, and tha , the Dominions should be represented a Washington by plenipotentiaries nomin l | ated on their behalf.
 In discussing the Irish Free State, Si Robert said: "hile the constitutions
 powers conferred upon the Irish Ere
 fState are defined in several instance
 |" =" it is not improbable that tn , status of Ireland will have certain ir fluence upon constitutional developmer
 | in the other self-goyerning nations
 An appeal for efforts to make histor 7 la more popular subject was made b Robert Lansing, former secretary ( : the Archaeological Institute of Americ and the American Historical association He said:
 "I am an amateur and therefore ur qualified to teach you scholars, but . may not be out of place to give you 1 thought An amateur am one of man T thousands. We amateurs are desirous
 helping but are not interested in the dI 5 iIechnicalities. If you wish to keep tf interest of the layman you must appe; to his imagination. to his sense of rC a nance and to his curiosity"