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Secretary of State and the Viceroy of India, and I forthwith 
placed them at their disposal. (Hear, hear.) We have now 
come to the last sittings of the Imperial Conference. 1 feel 
happy to have the privilege of being a member of that body, 
not only because it is a privilege, but because I feel that every 
member who sits there, whether he comes from the self- 
governing Dominions, from India or elsewhere, is imbued with 
one and only one sentiment and aim—the consolidation of an 
Empire which is already great, the progress and prosperity of 
an Empire which we hope with our united but humble efforts, 
we may make still greater. (Cheers.) Our Conference, 
indeed, will not have justified itself until it has produced 
a remedy that will heal the wounds and the sores that are 
festering in this world as the aftermath of the recent great 
war. (Hear, hear.) But I believe that the goodwill which 
we all bring from our countries to the hub of the Empire is 
the best cementing and healing factor. (Hear, hear.) Beyond 
that I believe that by the expressions of goodwill which the 
world sorely needs to-day—and we can all say we have come 
imbued with that feeling—we hope to contribute our quota, 
however little it may be, to achieve that great and glorious 
end, not only for the sake of the British Isles, not only for the 
sake of the British Empire, but for the sake of humanity and 
God. (Cheers.) With the perfect saturnalia of toasts that 
are to follow I ought to try and be brief. Those sentiments 
are certainly uppermost in my mind at this moment, when I 
see citizens of the British Empire assembled together under 
an organisation which embraces the highest brains and the 
best capacity in the commercial world. The toast which 1 am 
privileged to propose to-night is one that relates to a subject 
that is somewhat near my heart, namely, His Majesty's Forces. 
(Cheers.) I believe that that term in itself, without the addition 
of any alloy or polish, speaks in the simple phrase what it 
really means. However, I must perforce speak a few words to 
say that so long as the British nation and the sister Dominions, 
India and the Colonies overseas, can keep up the necessary 
standard, not for the sake of these islands alone, but for the 
oceanic Empire spread so wide over the world, so long will we 
remain a potent factor in being able to support the voice of 
right, and give an opportunity to the rest of the world to carry 
out their mission in life for the salvation of humanity. 
(Cheers.) I do not suppose there is anyone in this room who 
can claim equal right to proficiency in all the three branches 
that come under the name of His Majesty’s Forces, namely, 
the Navy, the Army and the Air Forces. We all have to 
take our individual part, and thus subscribe our little quota of 
duty to the main whole. People in general choose their own 
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