Good things have a habit of coming in troops. That is quite a common exprience of both individuals and nations. So the return of prosperity to the Dominion, the arrival of the Rt. Hon. L. S. Amery, and the approach of Father Christmas, all within a month or so of each other, are among the fortunate conjunctions of events that the thinking public like to regard as due rather to custom than coincidence.

The people of the far-flung countries, continents, and islands that fly the Union Jack are just as closely identified in their speech, habits, laws, customs, beliefs, and outlook as are those of Surrey and Kent, of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The disadvantages of their geographical separation are being rapidly overcome by speedier transit methods; but more rapid than the inventions of the engineers is the movement towards complete understanding produced by such momentous visits around the Empire as those paid by the Empire's representatives-our present King and Queen, our Prince, our Duke and Duchess, our Prime Ministers, and now our Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs.

Mr. Amery's visit marks an outstanding development in Empire history. His own brilliant record reveals a combination of those personal qualities that go to the making of a great man and a great statesman. His interest in the overseas Dominions is natal as well as national, for he was born in the North-west Province of India where his father-a Devon manheld a position in the Forest Department. Young Amery was early sent Home to gain the advantage of that traditional education which so closely links Harrow and Oxford with the Empire as a whole. At both school and university he acquitted himself brilliantly, finishing in style in 1897 by having the rare distinction of being elected to a Fellowship of All Souls College.

Concentrating his attention upon journalism, the paper which sets the world standard in news distribution, the London “Times,” found in 1899 that it could not be happy without Mr. Amery's services, and he was retained for the next ten years on the editorial staff of that great bulwark of all that is best in British character and sentiment. While with the “Times” he had a period as war correspondent in South Africa and in 1902 became a Barrister of the Inner Temple.

As happens with so many skilled journalists the possibilities of a parliamentary career early claimed his attention and we find him, at the age of thirty-three, trying his fortune at Wolverhampton as a Unionist and Tariff Reformer. His first four shots at the hustings failed; but with that quality of perseverance which is the sure guarantee of ultimate success, Mr. Amery was undaunted, and at his fifth attempt was returned (in 1911) for South Birmingham.

During the Great War he served in Flanders, Salonika and the Balkans, later rising through various executive offices to the position of Secretary to the Admiralty in 1921–22. He was later First Lord of the Admiralty for two years.

Mr. Amery's parliamentary career has excelled even the bright promise of his earlier days, with the result that he now holds the portfolio of Secretary of State for the self-governing Dominions and also for the rest of the Empire.

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In nothing has he shown more clearly the right to be classed amongst the greater of British statesman than in the wonderfully clear vision he has of the Empire's power and possibilities. Speaking of Great Britain's war debt to America he said: “The development of the Empire is our War of Independence against American domination,” and as a convinced Protectionist, he sees in that policy a most valuable weapon for helping to win this economic war, and would apply it by adopting a really vigorous system of Empire preference.

Mr. Amery is to be congratulated on the capacity for work and organisation which has helped him to break through old customs, and do, what no Colonial Secretary has ever before managed, that is, go all about and around the Empire and see things for himself.