EMPIRE'S MISSION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 575, 2 August 1909, Page 5

EMPIRE'S MISSION.

SIR. J. G. WARD.

ENTERTAINED IN HOUSE OF COMMONS DREADNOUGHT OFFER. DOMINIONS AND DEFENCE COMMITTEE. (Dy Tolcgrapli.-Preas Ae»oolatlon.-OoDjclEht.l' (Rcc. August 1, 5.5 p.m.) ■ London, July 31. Mr. J. Cathcart Wason, Liberal M.P. for Orkney and Shetland, and a former member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, entertained Sir Joseph , Ward at a luncheon in the House of Commons, for the purpose of presenting him with tho congratulatory cablegram sent by 400 members of tho House of Commons on: tho occasion of the offer of a New Zealand Dreadnought. <

The gathering included many Ministers and ex-Ministers, and leadina members of Parliament, including those of Aii'ulo-oolomal connections. Amon2 those present wero Lady Ward, Mr. Asquith, and Mr. Balfour; Mi-. M'Koiina, First Lord of the Admiralty; Mr. Sydney Buxton, Postmaster-Gonoral; Dr. Macnamara, Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty .;■. Messrs. Walter Long, Alfred Lyttelton, and Bonar Law, ex-Unionist Minis-, tors; Messrs. R. K. Caustoh, E. E. Hobhouse, and J. A. Pease, SirChas. Dilke, Sir Thos. Whitt-aker, and Sir J. Dickson-Poynder, Liberal M.P.'sj Sir Wm. Bull and Mr. Henniker iHoatori, Unionist M.P.'s; Mr. Joseph Vincent, Dr. Fitchett (New Zealand SolicitorGeneral), and Mr. W. P. Reeves (Director of the London School of Economics, and exHigh Commissioner). : ' ..-,.. ■ Mr.. Cat'licart Wason, in proposing tho toast of "New Zealand," .said that tne minion was proud of her Native races. They pos&Mßed great wealth and were undiniinlehed in numbers. . Though ten thousand British soldiers ihad failed to_.isubject them, they were now as loyal ae any of; tho King's subjects. When Sir Joseph Ward sent his famous telegram offering the Motherland a Dreadnought there'must have been-hovering over him the great departed Spirit of tho Ndtivcs races,, to whom war was sport and sport war.- ■..-,■■ ; '■ ;■' '.'■'■■" PRESENTATIOHS BY BOTH LEADERS. . The.Prinie.. Minister', Mr. Asquith, ..presented tq Sir Joseph Ward a framed copy of tho telegram sent to the New Zealand. Government by '100 niembers, of the House of Commons expressing appreciation of the Dominion's offer of a Dreadnought. Mr. ? Aβquith said: In a time of some anxiety New Zealand'spontaneously,'through you, sent Britain.the most wdlcomo assurance of willingness te siiaro in>our common'burdens and to provide for 1 our common' Imperial interests. 'The people of Great Britain and Ireland will never forget that splendid voluntary manifestation of cordiality, loyalty, and affection.' I trust that you will take this recognition back to Wellington as a permanent memento of .that most interesting and historic occasion.; • ■■•.'• ■.,■ .., ' ■ . . Mr. Balfour presented Sir Joseph Ward with an album containing the original signa-. fures to tfie telegram by the members of the House.of Commons. Mr. Balfour hoped that ■ this album would, be.kept, as/.a . perpetual memorial of this great' occurrence.' Ho added: It-relates toan epoch-making event. It'wao an incident which will be looked back upon by future generations'whenever our great-Imperial interests may be. endangei'ed. snowing how by; spontaneous action the great oelf-governiiig Domiiuons came foryvard., on their -own initiative without .'discussion — (hearl hear!)—by inspiration, as it were, to what was required by the public necessities of Empire, and gave a gift—generouß a.nd great almost beyond contemplation in relation to their, means'—to tho common pbject of Imperial defence;. (Cheers.) .. ~ , Mr. Balfour continued:'l may congratulate not merely New Zealand but yourself upon having been connected with this incident, which has not merely re-echoed within the'relatively narrow bounds of this island/, but has produced an effect in every part of tho Empire. (Cheers.) .: . ; ' SIR JOSEPH WARD'S RESPONSE. Sir Joseph Ward, who. sat between. Mr. Asquith and Mr. Balfpur, received-rounds of cheering on!rising to resrtond. Ho said: Tho i peoplo of New Zealand will prize as much as I this expression of goodwill from : > so many gentlemen occupying prominent positions on both sides of the Imperial Parliament. It shows what we all .know ,to .be true—that thero are occasions when political can be sunk in a common desire to promote Imperial interests. In offering a Dreadnought, all cone'ernod with myself in submitting tho. proposal—Cabinet in unanimously confirming it, and Parliament in subsequently ratifying it—did merely what wo.all conceived to bo pur duty to the Empire, ivithout , thought of personal loyalty, advaiytago, or self-interest. Wo had netfs that there was a.crisis, that tho naval supiomacy of Britain was being challenged, and that in the' of- Imperial statesmen on both sides, tho situation'was grave if.not critical. Now,' , wo always recognised in New Zealand,'as fully: as-you; here, that the absolute supremacy.qf Britain.on tho seas is osscntial'to tho eafety of England and, consequently, of tho 'Empire, -'and therefore imports no note of aggression against other countries.' .. t / .-.. , ■ '.:. ,•■',,.•. ':].'. .-.-.' Ocean' Routes Vital.- ■; ■ ' Tho. colonies aro so scattored and distant,; 'in many cases beinc many thousands .'of miles from the heart of thcEmpiro and. from oho another,, that ocean routes' have become- practically something in the nature of' internal or domestic highways. The safeguarding of them is tho first, if not the ; best; lino of defence. In these circumstances I felt, aud my colleagues agreed, that, though Now Zealand- as a small community could' do little, what she could do that sho should do, and at once. (Applause.) Hence the mode in whicli the offer was mado, and the responsibility which we took in making it without .first consulting Parliament, which was not then in session. '• .; - _ ' •

; Sir Joseph .Ward continued: Wo claim no special credit. Wo did it as a matter of duty, and I fully believe that tho. overseas Dominions in adopting proposals of support, though different as regards details, were moved by tho same spirit. (Cheers.) I am proud to* say .that in the New Zealand Tarliamont the Government nnd tho Opposition, by unanimously ratifying tho offers of Dreadnoughts to tho. Imporial, Government, showed in a most . emphatic and unmistakablo way their determination; to help the Motherland in maintaining the strength of the Nayy for tho protection of the. wider spread interests of the British Empire (Applause.) As regards the Defence Conference, which is now sitting, I feel''assured that tho outcome of its deliberations will bo both practical' and. valuable . Tho oversea roprawntatives are of one mind in their desiro to co-operate in. any scheme of defence which does justice to the Empiro as a whole and the communities they represent. (Applause.) In that result, the , necessity for isolated offorts' such as that referred to in tho case of Now Zealand will not bo likely to occur: It; may be presumption on my part, but I. venture to conjecture , that ; n some quarters the attitude of ■ tho overseas Dominions upon Imperial matters has not always been understood as clearly as might bo. ■ •- A'Matter of Perspective. In my own case, we hnvo of necessity to look upon things from mir own standpoint and perspective", which is 13,000 miles or thoreabouts from Westminster. It is obvious that our intorest in many political problems tliat occupy, you must be different from tho interest you yourselves fenl. Wo have our, local concerns which, though immeasurably less important than yours, are to us what yours aro to you. . (Applause.) Tho result is tliat many political questions that excite tho liveliest interest hero regarded by us —I will not soy with indifference, but cortainly with detachment. For example, your Budget,'which falls like rain on the just and tho unjust, and is tho .cuutre. of. a.controversy conducted with such; conspicuous vivacity—(laughter and applause)—wo watch with interest, lmt.it is tie impersonal interest with which a, spectator would con- ' template a dental operation. (Laughter and To ohanw thofi£UßC\, -a; oox

long perspectivo yonr local or intonial . differences are blurred. Wtet stands out clearest is the relation of the Empire to .tho outside world. This explains and justifies the strong Imperialistic spirit which undoubtedly, auns through New Zealand and ■ tho overseas Dominions! ADylrig Vratfltfoh. In my, judgment, thip spirit was, if not created, at all events stirred into strong and rigorous life by the disasters in the earlier ' stages of the South African War. .Till then the domestic relations of Britain and tho colonies were more like those of stop-mother and step-children than anything else. Aforetime it was a settled tradition of British statesmanship that the colonies were sc many troublesome excrescences on tho body politic '. —jmisancos in. time of peace and an expanse jn time-of war. This view reflected itself in ! public opinion and matters of administra- : tion ; hence the irritation and friction on both sides. The colonies wero pigeon-holed by. Downing Street as far as possiblo, and, fail-; ing that, they were snubbed •. while,V as for i Downing Street, well, it was not o;namo to conjure.with;'in the colonies. Traditions.die hard,, and the one mentioned is no exception,' That tradition Buffered severely in tho South African War, when, to the-bewilderment and delight of•-■ tho : military' authorities, tho colonies volunteered their help; but it did hot-die then, • or tho recent New Zealand Dreadnought offer would' scarcely , have nroused such astonishment and gratification throughout 'tho United Kingdom as it uppears to have done. That any oversea Dominion should volunteer any assistanbe to tho, Homo Government'seems something to make a home-bred Briton" rub-his oyos olid ask if ho is dreaming." i Nay ( will you think mo rtido: if I say that in the fact of yonr,pro-; senco and mine to-day a. microscopic 6&! animation misfit possibly disclose some traces' of that wiuallowed tradition? , , ' Issue - of, Defence Confcronco. '"'; j Bo this as it may; I am ; hopeful that it i will not survive the Defence Conference if,; as I firmly, bclioyo will bo the result of that j Conference, the oversea Dominions' ■ show! by y their acts that they arc ready and' .willing to bear somo share of tho great hnd growing burden of Imperial defence (Applanso.) This will involyo otheradjustments; l)ut these will come in time, and by degrees, given wise and prudent statesmanship on al| hands, thoEmpiro will develop on broad, safe lines, giving it a base on which it will stand fair and square to all the winds that bloiy. Iread with much pleasure Mr. Asnuith's announce* i ment that it .is contemplated to havo colonial ! representation on the.lmperial Defence Com- i mittee, and Mr Ralfonr's concurrence augurs i well for unanimity in-this important direc- ! fcion.,l cannot but feel if the scattered Do-.I minions arc to join in the practical .work- j ing of the Empire's naval defences system, j the natural corollary in.'somp suitable' formmust'.bo 'representation,' and, what shapo $haf should finally take is. a.. subject worthy -of \i tho' attention of your .statesmen;','.'•'" •' ' 1 :■',- Tlie Secretary for IToroigiv Affairs, Sir -Ed- , '• ward Grey, said that, "after 'such a speech,-' I Sir Joseph Ward's presence /brought the ' > colonies and. the Motherland into truelm-J •perial perspective, and they therefore doubly .' owed their thanks to llri Catbcart-Wason for : providing tho opportunity of , this > meeting.. with/Sir Joseph and Lady Ward., He siig-' gested that Mr. Wason should bo presented; with a replica of what thcy-ihad presented to' .Sir Joseph Ward. , :' : ; ;>-.; ; ;•;.;■.■,;'