50 
LAND & WATER 
May 25, 1916 
Half Hours with High Commissioners 
By Joseph Thorp 
" Half hours " is quite a modest euphemism^ as the various 
Secretaries seemed to wish to convey to mc when they ap- 
peared at what seemed to them appropriate moments with 
important looking documents for signature ; documents of 
he sort that capable secretaries always do keep by them for 
the purpose of ridding their chiefs of importunate visitors. 
I am gratified to think that in each case I survived the first 
application of the document treatment. 
.A High Commissioner is a sort of Ambassador with a 
dash of Supcr-consid-General. The Office for which the 
Dominions choose their most distinguished public servants 
is one of rapidly developing importance and is shaping 
itself according to our traditional method through e.xperience 
and practice rather than according to a preconceived or 
uniform plan. 
The High Commissioner is strictly an official, representing 
his government not himself. Canada's representative, Sir 
George Perky is actually a Minister of the Canadian 
Cabinet, a Minister without portfolio. Mr. Andrew 
Fisher and Sir Thomas Mackenzie have both been Prime 
Ministers. Mr. Schreincr has had a most distinguished 
political and legal career in 'South Africa, and has twice 
been Attorney General, and was Prime Minister of the 
Cape before the Union. 
This official aspect of the position inevitably restricts the 
candour of the conversations, especially in war time when 
every thorny question puts forth neiv spines. I can 
make them no better return for their kindness than to respect 
their candour and put the asterisks where these -were enjoined 
me. My best service to readers of Land & Water is to 
attempt to give some impression of these interesting person- 
alities and of the substance of their ■ excellent talk. 
I will attempt this in the order of my going. 
THE COMMONWEALTH OF 
AUSTRALIA 
MR. ANDREW FISHER is a tall well-made 
man, without superfluous flesh, a bearing almost 
military, who has not yet reached the middle 
of the sixth decade. About his speech lingers 
the flavour of 
his native Scot- 
land, but no 
trace you would 
say of the mine 
which he en- 
tered when he 
was eleven. A 
man certainly 
accustomed to 
command. One 
has to rub one's 
eyes and re- 
member that at 
the age of twenty-three Andrew Fisher left Scotland, 
but before that he had expressed opinions that were 
considered of the "agitator" order. That was in the 
middle 'eighties. We hadn't begun even to try to under- 
stand our " agitators " then. I asked him how he 
felt about all that. 
" I am glad I went to Australia," he said. " If it 
hadn't been for that, why I might have been still in 
Scotland thinking seriously of the fate of old age." 
" You must have enjoyed your strenuous life ? " 
I caught a quickly passing expression of rather queer 
dismay. 
" Yes, I have. But I wouldn't have another day of 
it over again. . . . No, I don't want to let Ufe go. 
There's plenty to do, but it's an improving world, 
despite the war.'' 
***** 
Here then is the hall-mark of the man, who has 
really counted and still counts in affairs— he is not so 
much concerned to plume himself on what he has ac- 
complished against odds, but to think chiefly of what 
yet remains to be done. 
I ventured to air a hope that we were nearing 
a new day when we shouldn't be so foolishly afraid of 
the power of Labour, but should welcome widespread 
developments of that power, now faintly seen on the 
hoVizon ; and that increased responsibility and fuller 
experience would act as effective fly wheels. 
" That's it. You have not been fair to Labour. You 
don't understand it. You've not trusted it. An animal 
trampled on will bite ; it has to. Of course, when 
the power of two parties is better balanced you will 
get fairer negotiations. You've been too apt to try 
dragooning — oh, yes, on both sides, of course I admit 
— ^but in the long run, in the average, it is kindness that 
tells, sympathy and understanding. 
" Our Labour problem out there is free of some of 
Labour's worst troubles here and it has made us see 
clearer and further in [some ways. We saw an obvious 
danger ahead of us and provided against it. We're not 
militarist, but military we had to be. Just as the ex- 
perience of the war here is teaching Labour things it 
didn't realise before. 
* * * * * • ■ 
" But please don't talk of helping the old country. 
We're in this because it is our cause just as much as 
yours." 
" I am afraid that was a bait of mine. Sir. I wanted 
to hear you say that — just like that. Old ideas and 
phrases die hard. We have, I think, almost got rid 
of talking about Colonies and the old fatuous air of 
patronage. . . . Perhaps the patronage now is a 
little bit the other way ? " 
The High Commissioner laughed. 
" Oh, I don't think you need take that too seriously. 
The Australian talks up Australia because he believes 
in his country. We're a young country and no doubt 
we've young faults. 
" Well, as I have said already, we're not here to 
criticise but to help win the war." 
" I should like you to tell me some of the things 
Australia has done in the way of help, so far as official 
discretion permits." 
" As to our share in the war. Well, we shouldn't 
have been able to get ready so soon to do our bit if it 
hadn't been for our system of universal military training 
— though as you understand every man who has Come 
over is a volunteer for foreign service. As to numbers, 
well you appreciate the difficulties. It worfld be 
indiscreet if I say that over 150,000 troops of all arms 
have up to date left Australia for Europe. I needn't 
tefl you that doesn't end our effort. We're all ' last 
man and shilling ' folk. There are in training another 
180,000, including cadets. 
***** 
" Finance ? Oh, that's a simple story. During the 
first six months the Commonwealth Government had to 
finance not only its own administration and its Army 
and Navy, but also the States, which were affected by a 
prevailing severe drought. The enemy within was much 
worse than the enemy without. The Commonwealth 
borrowed some 23 millions from the Imperial Government 
to finance its war requirements and lent almost exactly 
the same sum to the State Governments to enable 
them to carry on their public works. When this 
money was exhausted Australia realised that she must 
stand on her own feet. The Commonwealth Govern- 
ment raised a war loan, applied for 5 millions and 
received 13 millions at the first call. Within six 
months applied for a further 10 millions and received 
21. That 34 milUons is not yet quite exhausted, and 
I have every confidence that the additional loans 
proposed in the House of Representatives by the Treasurer 
wiU also be over-subscribed. 
" A great deal of our abiUty to go on, naturally, rests 
iContinued on page 52.) 
