The annual general meeting of the Victoria League was held
on Wednesday. Lady Jersey, who took the chair, explained how the League is in the fullest sense a non- party organisation to draw together by educational and social means the different parts of the Empire. The chief speaker was Sir Edward Grey, who delivered an admirable address on the proper meaning of Empire. We are proud of the Empire, he said, not because it means domination, but because it means freedom. Comparing the spirit of the self-governing Colonies with that of the people at home, he deprecated the pessimism which mistakes itself for criticism and talks as though Britain were tottering to her fall. On the same day Sir Edward Grey spoke at the annual dinner of the. Japan Society, and declared that the Anglo-Japanese Alliance triumphantly survived the two test questions which ought to be applied to every Alliance :—" Has it secured its objects ?" and " Has it promoted peace ? " We should prefer also to ask ourselves in the case of every Alliance the further question whether in the event of war we could fight in the name of that Alliance with a whole heart against all possible opponents.
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