The Americans, on their side, still fail, owing to insufficient
education on the subject, to realise that the relations between the several States of the British Commonwealth are governed by what is a new and daring experiment in federalism, an experi- ment which it would profit them to study and appraise. The cob- web strands of the Statute of Westminster have proved themselves, in this the crisis of our imperial history, as strong as steel. There was no obligation upon any member of the British Commonwealth of Nations to enter this war upon our side. Yet only one re- mained neutral. The others placed at our disposal their lives, their industry, their fortunes. Does America realise that in India alone 900,000 men have volunteered to fight, for us, and that this figure increases every week? Does she realise that added to our armed forces today, there are 490,000 Canadians, 400,000 Australians, 2oo,000 New Zealanders, and 15o,000 from South Africa? These men were not compelled ; they volunteered. Why?
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