HC Deb 04 March 1902 vol 104 c399

Before I sit down I would ask the House in one more matter to give me sympathetic support. We cannot close any record of the year without remembering that even to a larger extent than last year we have had the support in the field of our Colonial forces. I trust it may be possible that some arrangement may be made by which the whole forces of the Empire may be made available in case of a war in which the interests of the whole Empire are involved. An opportunity for conferring with our Colonial friends on this subject will occur on the visit of Colonial statesmen to this country for the Coronation. We shall then have an opportunity of seeing how far the scheme in our minds commends itself to the Colonies, and how far they are willing to undertake a responsibility which will more closely link together the different parts of the Empire.