46 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



that kind ; and that for this reason they deluded 

 him." Mr. Spencer says that, not finding it in 

 Tylor, he concludes it must be in Sir John's 

 writings. 



It was in the spring of this year that the 

 negotiations for the formation of the British 

 Empire League, mentioned in the last chapter, 

 were brought to a head. In the first instance Sir 

 John had been pressed to accept the Presidency, 

 but thought that it ought to be held by some one 

 in high official position, and that the Duke of 

 Devonshire would be the right man in the right 

 place. The Duke's objection to the word " Feder- 

 ation," appearing in the title of the original league, 

 has already been noticed. 



On April 16 Sir Robert Herbert writes : 



My dear Lubbock — I have received from Mr. 

 Freeman Murray a proof of the Imperial Federation 

 League Reconstruction scheme, which I am considering, 

 and as to which I hope before long to give you my 

 more definite opinion for what it may be worth. 



My present impression is that a new departure would 

 have a better prospect of success than any galvanizing 

 of the defunct " Imperial Federation League." A good 

 many men have (often for no clear reason) declared 

 themselves opposed to " Imperial Federation " : some 

 sniff at the word " Imperial " : others (I am perhaps 

 one) do not believe actual political " federation " of 

 this country with Greater Britain to be desirable or 

 feasible. 



Would not the movement go better at the present 

 time if it were more distinctly to purport to start from 

 the late Ottawa Conference, as a new organization, and 

 under a new name ? The draft " Constitution " does 

 in fact adopt the Ottawa Programme. A new name 

 is, of course, a most difficult point. What I grope 

 helplessly for is something like " The British Empire 

 Union " — explaining it to be for " Commerce and 

 Defence." 



