Evening star., 1926-11-23
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

our fellow citizens they would have
been a source of strength"
And that Is exactly what now hap
pens-South Africa is as loyal TO the
British empire, on the basis of aChiev
ing home rule, as is England herself.
yet pending the discussions in the con-
ference, a few days ago, there were
rumblings of menace, in case home
rule were longer denied
The spirit dominating the Imperial
Conference was expressed bluntly by
Prime Minister Bruce of Australia.
when he said that If Australia had
been organized in 1776. and had suf-
fered abuses such as afflicted the
American colonies, she would most
volt.
In the conference, the Irish Free
State insisted on a change in the title
f the King. and in wholly eliminating
he term UNITED Kingdom" so that
there will no longer be known as eX-
| listing any United Kingdom" The
Irish Free State, being Roman Cath
olic, also protests against designating
the Protestant King as Defender cf
the Faith"
The King ceases to be George ".
by the grace of God. of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire
land, etc." and he will be George v,
by the grace Of God, of Great Britain.
Ireland, the British Dominions Beyond
the Seas King, Defender of the Faith.
Emperor of India" The change con-
sists in omitting the designation of
the island of England, Wales and
Scotland with Ireland as being IA
United Kingdom" 1t is now two
units disunited.
The British constitution chat myth
ical unwritten doCumenO has never
| recognized the title british Empire
1t does not count the "domini0ns
across the seas" as being essential
organs of empire. but rather as pos
sessions, dominions. crown colonies,
protectorates and dependencies. The
government of George III learned
| nothing from the surrender at York
town, for even from 1888 to 1850 the
colonial policy was one of deSputiC
government. ever suspicious of repre-
sentative local governments in ard
of the colonies. lest they emulate the
| example of the thirteen American col
onies and develop rebel republican
institutions.
Canada, achieved by conquest in
1859, had been soothed into quiet at
the time of the great unrest among
the colonies south. British Tories
| migrated from the American colonies
into Canada during our Revolution.
and the Quebec act of 1874 had pla-
Gated the French Canadians. SO that
| the military government following the,
conquest was replaced by a regular
colonial government. After many
English had mingled with the French
with more or less friction--the con-
| stitutional act of 1891 established On
| tariO or Upper Canada" as a sepa-
rate province.
After q Canadian rebellion, some 95
years later. Irresponsible local gov
ernment" was given Canada-and also
| Australia-in 1855. This was the
| opening dominion wedge to separate
| the colonies from the central govern
| ment--a separation now about TO he
cOnSummated all along the line. when
parliamentary legislation confirms the
decisions Of the Imperial Conference
| and confirm, 1t must.
& h r
All this evolution has been Of "a
centrifugal nature, separating tia
unit colonies, but since 1887 there has
been also a movement (now reaching
its climax) to bind the colonies or
! Commonwealths into closer relation
ship than merely loyalty to % com.
mon throne. This was begun by
Joseph Chamberlain during the Boer
War. when he first advocated I'm
perial federation and preferential
tariffs, to encourage interempire com
merce.
In 1911. an imperial defense con
ference was held to establish consui
tation as to foreign policies affecting
various parts of the empire. This waa
followed. during the World War, by
a cabinet of prime ministers, formed
by Imperial Prime Minister Lloyd
George.
Thus the idea grew of imperial COT
ferences, which stimulated independ
ent thought by several provinces ana
dominiOnS, until now the empire
takes second rank to the Independent.
autonymouS commonwealths. 1t Is
generally accepted that, just as Cecil
Rhodes prescribed three decades ago,
home rule and secession were the al
ternatives-and home rule saves the
empire.
Now each commonwealth will have
ministers to America, and we must
send ministers TO each. Canada and
Ireland were already on that basis;
now comes Australia, New Zealand
and South Africa. The change does
not affect India. for that is not a com
monwealth.
Each dominion will have its gov
ernor general, appointed by the King
and reporting directly to the King
The foreign office OF Great Britain
will make treaties and have diplo-
matte relations affecting only Great
Britain and not the dominions, unless
each dominion sign the treaties. -
far as they affect them respectively
This evolution is not taken as de
generation OF the power of the British
Empire. but rather an illustration of
Napoleon HIS aphOriSm. "iieunpirf.
c'est Ia paix.' Surely the union OF
many willing commonwealths. "by the
consent of the governed" is stronger
than the Handwriting of rebellious
subjects"
G0nzslshL- 1o1A ~ PAM v. oelrz a