SIR JOSEPH WARD, IMPERIALIST.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 575, 2 August 1909, Page 4

SIR JOSEPH WARD, IMPERIALIST.

It is with a great deal of pleasure that we congratulate Sir Joseph -Ward this morning on tho very admirable speech delivered by him at the banquet at the House of Commons arranged in his honour by Mn. Oathcaet Wason, M.P.' Mit. Wasox will probably be remembered as a member of the New Zealand Parliament some 3'ears ago, when he holds a seat on the Opposition benches in antagonism to the Seddon Government. .He has. been .one of the most ■enthusiastic ;admircrs of New Zealand's offer of a Dreadnought. Sir Joseph Ward's speech, a very full report of which has been cabled to us this morning, showed the Prime Minister at his best. As an Imperialist, we have always regarded Sir Joseph as holding, on the whole, 6ound views. He baa almost invariably a

proper recognition of the relations which should exist between the overseas Domin-' ions of the Empire and tho Mother Country. Ho has never failed to urge the right and the duty of thu colonics to share Imperial responsibilities; but he has very properly refrained from any action which might be construed as an interference with the domestic concerns of Britain. Wα have on previous occasions complimented the Prime Ministeron his attitude in relation to Imperial matters, but our complimentary reference has oxtended to the correctness of. his attitude rather than to the form in which ho .has expressed himself.. To-day we have to compliment, him on both. As d rule, Sir Joseph Wam> is a wordy, involved speaker, whose fluency causes him to entangle his ideas in a meshwork of irrelevancies and superfluities.' Sometimee iihere is a glimmer of light as through , a fog, oftentimes at is all fog; seldom, indeed, in a set speech arc his ideas, presented in a clear-cut and shapely form. This, however, cannot be said • of his speech which : we publish. this morning. Instead of tho usual mass of wordy platitudes and. overdone heroi'cs, Sir Joseph would seem to have r made a , .graceful speech, the matter and form of which are excellent, and in tho ■ best taste; and the feelings of the colonies towards the Empire lucidly and forcibly expressed. The delicate ground of the relations which have existed between Downing Street and fcho ;overseas dominions is touched on in a really admirable manner,, which, while voicing the views of the colonies in no uncertain way, : tactful!?;; avoids any ground for offence on the part' ' of the Home Government. It is'not of ten that wo have tho pleasure of complimenting Sir Joseph Ward in his capacity as Prime Minister, but we can do so without reservation on the present occasion; on his very admirable speech.