Notes

Abstract

ON Monday, October 11, H.R.H. the Prince of Wales returned from his seven months' tour of the West Indies and our Colonies in the Pacific Ocean. When the Prince set out on March 17 it was intended that he should pay a visit to the Indian Empire, but this has been deferred until next year out of consideration for his health. However, during his long journey he has had an opportunity of seeing some of the diverse lands and peoples which go to make up the British Empire. To the credit of science, it can be put on record that during the whole course of the tour the Prince was never for a day out of touch with London. Telegraphy and “wireless” have made continual communication possible. It is also noteworthy that, in spite of encountering bad weather, the Renown kept to her time-table with great accuracy; marine engineers are to be congratulated on this remarkable achievement. The experience which the Prince has gained is invaluable to one who will some day have the task of ruling the Empire. His Majesty the King has voiced this sentiment in a letter which was addressed to the Secretary of State for the Colonies for transmission to the Governors-General and Governors of the Colonies which have been visited. He says: “May such mutual intercourse create fresh ties of confidence and devotion between the Throne and the generations, present and future, of these, great lands, and thus promote the unity, strength, and prosperity of the Empire.” The experience is also of importance in the study of problems of the moment, of reconstruction and all that it entails. That the Prince himself appreciates this is apparent from the following words from his reply to the address of welcome made by the Mayor of Portsmouth: “We are still, I fear, only at the beginning of the labours which are necessary to restore our credit and prosperity after the prolonged strain of the war, and I am deeply interested in our problems of reconstruction, which all parts of the nation must pull together to solve.”