London, Dec. 14.
Bee, that the British Empire today was the greatest prac al expression of certain permanent political principles which ought to inspire devotion and command the services of even the youngest and most idealistic, was expressed by the Colonial and Dominions Secretary, Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, in a speech yester-doy afternoon at the Constitutional Club in London. The main purpose of the British Empire, he asserted, was the gradual spreading of liberty among His Majesty's subjects in whatever part of the earth they lived, The most significant part of the Empire today was that part called the British Commonwealth of Nations.
People, Mr. MacDonald continued, talked about Imperialism as though it meant the exploitation, duping and domination of the weaker peoples by the strong.
"How ignorant they are of the changes which have been going on inside the British Empire and which have reached a climax in new Imperialism, which was the antithesis of that conception, had gown up inside the Empire. There (rare certain disintegrating forces side the Commonwealth today. There was, for instance, the force of na-{ionalism, and there was no doubt that some of the Dominions had been bitten rather badly by Nationalism.
Mz, MacDonald. asked what would the future of the British Commonwealth of nations.
"There were those, he said, who shook their heads and stated that this wonderful creation was the final flowtr of British political genius which would blossom for a short season but that, at last, the whole flower would {all dead and: disappear.
Some suggested that the Empire right fall. to pieces, T sometimes wonder," Mr. Mac-Donald proceeded, "if, before I leave the Dominions office, T shall not find that the people who prophesied that are right." our time."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.