There has been during the week an interesting discussion as
to whether the great Commonwealths of Canada and Australia should not now be called Kingdoms, and the King accordingly have added to his titles " King of Canada " and " King of Australia." The matter, it seems to us, should be left entirely to the free nations of Canada and Australia. If those great nations within the Empire desire to be known as Kingdoms, instead of one as a Dominion and the other as a Commonwealth, so be it. If, however, they prefer their present and self-chosen titles, then no change must be forced upon them from here. For ourselves, we like the change to Kingdom in so far as it emphasises the fact that they are nations, but we dislike, on the other hand, the idea of any changes when a relationship is so thoroughly sound and satisfactory as that between us and the self-governing Colonies. They are self-governing nations allied within the Empire, and no change in name could make them either more or less so. On the whole, then, we think that nothing had better be done till Canada and Australia themselves speak with no uncertain voice. If and when they do there will be no doubt about the response from the Mother-country.
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