The Progress of the World. 



135 



the peoples are being adjusted. Once the 

 majorities have an adequate say in the 

 coniluct of affairs we do not beheve that 

 the dangers of wars will seriously exist. 

 It is seldom the majority of any people 

 want a war, never a war of aggression. 

 We take it, therefore, that in the interests 

 of peace, and of the peaceful majorities, 

 it behoves us to settle definitelv the fact 

 that the British Navy is alwavs going to be 

 strong enough to fulfil its mission and en- 

 sure peace. We believe that an unmistakable 

 forcing of this fact upon the world's imagina- 

 tion would enable the danger period of the 

 next few years to be rendere"d innocuous. 

 How is this to be done, and without enabling 

 our enemies amongst the ruling minorities 

 to accuse us of aggression ? Let an Imperial 

 Navy Loan be issued with a definite policy 

 of construction in Imperial naval defence. 

 This loan would be guaranteed, not alone 

 by Great Britain, but, in addition, by the 

 various Dominions. In other words, the 

 Imperial Navy would be financed by 

 Imperial credit. Such a plan would be 

 far better than a patchwork Imperial Navy 

 made up of contributions from various parts 

 of the Empire, and having no continuity. 

 It would be cheaper to all parties concerned, 

 and it would prove to the world in the nioit 

 conclusi\e manner possible that for Ini|)erial 

 Defence the Empire is a unit. 



There is one result which 

 Imperial Questions would be immediate, and 

 Imperially Solved. ]( „nly for this we would 



advocate an Imperial Loan. 

 That is that such a policy would bring out 

 much more rapidly than there is anv pro- 

 spect at |)resent a calling of the Dominions 

 to the Empire's councils. If the Im|)erial 

 credit has been established on a sound and 

 lasting common basis, it is only natural that 

 the various parts of the I'.mpire, each 



Mc't'oume " F:inc'i."'\^ 



The John-Bull Dogs. 



John Bum. : " See that foreigner over there ". He's set his 

 heart on beatins,' your father." 



The Pt;i's : " Then he's got a hopeless job. He'll have to 

 beat the lot of us." 



interested in the upholding of Imperial 

 credit, should take part in the deliberations 

 and decisions on Imperial cpiestions. Gifts 

 of Dreadnoughts may be more spectacular 

 and may more rapidly achieve the desired 

 remits, but they do not inevitably lead to 

 Imperial Councils. Antl it is for the good 

 of the ICmpire that Imperial questions 

 should be considered and solved Imperially. 

 In the Imperial Defence Committee there 

 exists an autonomous and elastic body 

 which should be developed into an Impe- 

 rial Council. To this all these Dominions, 

 which are ready to realise Imperial duties 

 as well as Imperial advantages, should 

 send special representatives, who will 

 deliberate either at special meetings or as 

 ordinary members. In e:u li Dominion 

 Government a new post would be created 



