Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-20
DOMINION LIBERTY
|SDEC[ARED VITAL
Sir Esme Howard Says Free
dom of Colonies Hope of
British Empire.
by the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press
NEW YORK, November 2O-Com-
plete liberty to each individual do
hlnion as to its own development,
with hearty cooperation among them
all and the empire in matters of world
wide policy, is the only policy
through which the British Empire
VIII be able TO continue to hold to-
2ether' and exert it's influence in the
world. Sir Esme Howard, British AM
bassddor to Washington, declared Tues
dayday night in an address before the
canadian Club here.
canada especially, he said. by rea-
| son OF her position as All American
power, VIII have an exceptional po-
>itfon and play an exceptionally i'm
portant part i'll the future develop
ment of the British empire.
1t viii he for her" he added 40
interpret to the rest Of us the feel
lngs and the attitude of this great
American republic, with whom We not
only desire but intend to live in the
most cordial friendship and in peace
IN the future. -"
Confident in Canada
In view of the constantly increas-
Ing importance" Of America North
and South, in the economic as we'll
as the political affairs Of the world
at large, the Importance of Canada s
share in imperial and world affairs
can, L think, hardly be overestimated.
feel sure that. judging by the wis
dom of the statesmen in the past, she
will play her part with honor, dig
nifty and success
Sir Esme said he had always held
the opinion that the British Empire
could only hold together and play
the great part it was destined to play
in the history of the world If each
separate part was allowed complete
liberty to develop along its own lines,
while all worked together and CO.
operated for the benefit, not only of
the empire. but also of the world at
large"
1t was assumed" he said that we
All should aim at establishing where
ever the Union Jack flew the prin-
cipleS OF law and order, of justice and
equality before the law. Of liberty in
the best sense-that is, Of liberty
which is not made cloak for. malice.
The fact that we may all from time
TO time have fallen far short of these
high ideals is no reason to despair
Of the future of the empire
Liberty Is Granted.
The fact remains that wherever
the Union Jack flies there is gener-
ally that amount of liberty which is
compatible with order. that amount of
justice which inspires confidence in
government, that amount Of fair pla Y
in government which is the spirit
OF real democracy. and that amount
of common sense which prevents en-
thusiastic though perhaps perfectly
honest and single minded persons
from playing ducks and brakes, with
The existing order of things, from
desiring to tear down everything that
The experience of centuries has built
up i'll order to try new and quite I'M
known panaCeas and quack remedies
for all the ills of mankind
Now it seems To me that much of
this power for good will be lost to
tho worid--and heaven knows It il
needed now--if the component parts
Of the British commonws alth of ma
lions elect to go their ways sep
;trately. That they would have so
elected long ago if the old mother
country had attempted to maintain
any sort of direct control over their
destinies is evident
Statesmen See Problem.
Fortunately, Sir Esme continued.
British statesmen had recognized
tndL II Is IL greater ana nlRHeT
achievement to establish a great
federation of free states than to hold
half the world in fee by force as the
center of an imperial system in the
old sense Of the word
In the constitutional evolution" Of
the British Empire, the Ambassador
said, Canada has from the first set
The pace, developing from a colony
TO an autonomous nation responsible
FOR her own internal affairs. her de-
lenses and even her own foreign af-
fairs, SO long as these concern her
own interests only and not those of
the empire generally" The other
dominions have followed suit, he said.
and their right to independence was
recognized in resolution passed by
the imperial war conference in Lon
ION in 1917, which he said he consid-
cred as 1.-THE Magma Charta of the
empire"
Sir Esme declared the dominions
had earned their right TO voice in
imperial matters by their sacrifices
during the war, and added that ''it
is, with joy and gratitude that L see
The dorunions ready to share not
only the sorrows and glories of such
q terrific struggle as the World War,
but also the responsibilities Of con-
Quoting the destinies of our common
Heritage, the rBitish Empire.
Difficulties Great.
Asserting he could not believe that
:, settlement for all the difficulties
within the empire could be found. the
Ambassador added:
The difficulties are very real and
very great. The situation is quite
a novel one in the history of the
world; there has never before been
anything like ii. But l believe in
the Anglo Saxon genius for consti-
1utional and real democratic govern
ment and that little by little, step
by step, just as the British consitu-
ton and British common law have
been built up as went along,
so the great common Inheritance
of ours will not be thrown away by
any one of us, either for the sake
of some doctrinaire theory of gov
crnment or on account of personal
pique, if ! may call it so, on the
part of any one of it's component
parts.
The past history of the empire
has been .glorious-with occasional
mistakes and blots on the papers of
its history--neither individuals, fam
ilics nor nations can altogether avoid
these--but [ look forward to a flu
irrre still more glorious, not~from a
military or imperial point of view.
but inspired by the hope of render
&c -,tr