NEARING HOME.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1211, 21 August 1911, Page 4

NEARING HOME.

No doubt the lengthy statement which Sir Joseph Ward has given out for publication in Australia is his way of preparing the New Zealand public for what he wishes to say upon his arrival here. He is quite right in supposing that there are a few points upon which explanation will be desired by the people of New Zealand, but lie docs not appear to have quite grasped what points those are. We are pleased to be able to agree with the Prime Minister as to the results of the Conference, namely, that they were solidly and cnduringly beneficial. It would be idle to deny that there are differences of opinion upon this point. A good many people have considered the Conference unduly cautious and conservative. We have always said, however—and this _is undoubtedly the general opinion amongst those who have thought much upon the nature of the Empire —that the Conference did magnificent work in proving that the Empire can be made co-operative over a wide range of action without the fundamentals being interfered with. And its best work was Uncomplete and crushing destruction of the idea that it is necessary to rush into an artificial unity under a Central Council or Parliament such as Sir Joseph Ward so vigorously advocated. He now says that lie clicl_ not expcct his proposal to be carried, but most people will fancy that this is merely his way of breaking his fall. There is no doubt that he did hope to carry his proposal, and was utterly surprised and confused when he discovered that not one of the other Prime Ministers had a good word for it. That point is of no great importance, however; and it would be unkind to grudge him the comfort of being able to go on proclaiming his firm adherence to his opinion. He could hardly be expected to admit all at once that lie had made a serious mistake.

Of far greater interest to New Zealandcrs is the excuse he will give for having over and over again stated, in the most positive way, that in this matter lie was expressing the opinion of New Zealand. The only evidence he had as to New Zealand opinion pointed all the other way. He consulted nobody, not even Parliament, It is due to him to explain on what principle he considered himself entitled to misrepresent New Zealand with perfect completeness, and his explanation will be far more interesting than anything else he can say. In the statement cabled to us to-day ho quotes the vague memorial presented to Jin. AsQUiTtr by a number of members of the House of Commons as an "answer to those who suggest that tho introduction of thesubject was something gratuitous and without the widespread and fervent- support 'of the people of the Motherland." This is really a very remarkable way of answering the criticism that he proposed, in the name of New Zealand, a thing upon which New Zealand had not been consulted, and which, when it heard what had ,bcen done, rellectcd its hostility through the press of _ all parties. In any event, it is a- flight of imagination to say that tho British public fervently supported him; and the overshadowing fact remains that the Governments of Britain, Australia, Africa, Canada, .and Newfoundland were united against him. It is very interesting to hear that the secret conference on defence "satisfied" Sin Joseph AVakd "beyond all doubt" that effectiveness in Imperial defence cannot be secured without "the adoption in some shape" of the principle lie advocated. Perhaps it did; but it had pot .Iks same cffcct ou the other Prime.

Ministers. Possibly we should add a word unon Sir Joseph Ward's restatement of his adhesion to the idea of a naval subsidy. He still appears to think_ that this is the only idea that logically follows from the necessity of oneness in Imperial naval policy. He cannot have grasped the fact that unity and uniformity can be otherwise sccured.