Evening star., 1926-11-23

one set of British colonies to accom-
plish what the surviving British units
have just done with no fighting ana
no blare of trumpets-the self-asser'
ton of the dominions Of the British
empire demanding and obtaining tnde-
pendence. The difference is only that
today's independence Of the dom1nions
in all that concerns them individually
retains adhesion to the empire in what
concerns their general welfare. They
emulate our 48 States and Federal
Union.
= The British Imperial Conference,
made up of the premiers Of all the
dominions, has declared that, hence
forth, each dominion shall have rank
equal to the rank of England or Of
Great Britain. within the empire, and
shall no longer recognize the authority
of the government located in London
the British prime minister and cabinet
but shall conduct it's own affairs.
including its foreign relations, particu
larly with adjoining countries-as, for
example, Canada with the United
States-without interference from the
foreign secretary of the British empire
located in London.
1875, declared that "all men are cre-
ated equal" The declaration of the
Imperial Conference, $50 years later.
goes only so far as to say that "all
dominions are created equal" Eng
land becomes a dominion, practically,
on an equality with South Africa or
New Zealand. All dominions recognize
the one King, but that is the princi-
pal tie that binds them together.
There was a time when Norway and
Sweden had one King, while each had
it's own Parliament.
1t Is conceivable that If there had
been such an Imperial Conference in
1875 as in 1926 there would have been
no United States of America. and in
the vision of a famous Englishman,
the late w. T. Stead, the capital Of the
reformed British empire would now be
Washington. d. c., rather than Lon
don. See Stead's Characterization Of
the World" published in 1901.
Lord Bryce, in his american Com
monwealth," referring to the success
of the American plan of Federal and
State organization, wrote as follows:
'They are believed to disclose and
display the type of institutions to-
ward which, as by a law Of fate, the
rest Of civilized mankind are forced
to move, some with swifter, others
with slower, but all with unresting
feet"
Even Lord Salisbury, Tory prime
minister, a third Of a century ago.
''cast a longing eye across the Allan
tic to the American Constitution,
lamenting that our (the British) con-
stitution contained no such safe
guards"
Mr.. Cecil Rhodes declared, 80 years
ago. For the salvation Of the British
empire only two things are needed,
home rule and a preferential (protec-
tive) tariff, and If you ask me why /
believe in home rule and what l mean
by it, 1 say to you read the American
Constitution"
How much struggle was required Of
Ireland before she gained, at the price
Of blood, the home rule now openly
decreed for every British dominion,
Mr.. Stead, in his book Of 1901, con.
trasted the loyalty of our Southern
States, reconstructed" after the
Civil War. and as ready to fight for
the United States In our Spanish War
as were the Northerners, because "the
breach was healed by the re-establish-
ing of home rule-contrasted with the
British-Irish failure to achieve good
will
X X X
"The contrast" he said, between
the complete reconciliation which has
been effected between the North and
South In America and our utter fail
ure to effect even a moduS vivendf
between the English and the Irish af-
fords measure Of the difference be-
tween the political genius Of the
American Republic and the British
empire
The subsequent victory Of the Irish
was won only by military conquest,
with great loss Of life.
Mr.. Stead further analyzed the
difference, as follows:
1.-The secret lies in the fact that the
Americans have frankly and fully
recognized the principle Of govern
ment by the consent Of the governed,
whereas only one-half of the English
have ever accepted 1t. The old virus
CT absolute government, which was
the curse of England in the seven
teenth century, under the Stuarts,
came back after the commonwealth,
at the Restoration, and was not en-
tirely exercised in 1888. 1t revived In
the eighteenth century. under George
III. with the result that we lost the
American colonies The pres
ence Of unwilling subjects, of men,
made citizens without their consent,
is ever a source Of weakness to
States. An expenditure of 10000
lives and 1900, 200. 900 has been incur
red for the purpose OF forcing the
South African Dutch to submit to
our dominion. We have killed thou
sands and devastated their land In
order to make them "our subjects"
If they had been willing to become