PARTY OR STATE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2507, 7 July 1915, Page 6

PARTY OR STATE

The offer of the Prime) Minister to the Opposition Party to form a National Ministry which would include three members of the present Opposition for the period of the war has been rejected. ■ The announcement'published by the Opposition as the result of yesterday's caucus is that the party did not consider three Ministers sufficient 'representation in proportion • to its numerical strength j but it appears plain from the. attitude ,of the La-bour-Socialist section at least that this is merely an excuse for declining to sink party divisions. This is regrettable from the , point of view of the country as a whole. The difficulties and dangers which confront the British race at the present time are greater than : many"of .us. in this distant-part of the world quite realise, ana anything that would make for the 1 removal of causes'of internal friction and promote- whole-hearted unity of effort in the prosecution ■ of, our share in the struggle- cannot bo too earnestly supported. Sir Joseph Ward and his party must take the responsibility for their refusal to join in that harmonious co-operation proposed by -the Prime Minister, and' which we havo "no doubt the great bulk of the peoplo of the Dominion would welcome. If our leaders- in public affairs cannot sink their party differences at a time like this then the public should have no difficulty in; estimating them at their true worth. The alternative suggestion jput forward by the Opposition means nothing at all so far . as the setting aside of party divisions is concerned. The Defence Committee should do useful work and it is quite right that leading members of the Opposition should be takon into the confidence of Ministers on certain questions. But it would be absurd to pretend'that any such rceults in the way of that truce to party warfare and the promotion of unity of purpose and action. which is so necessary at this juncture can bo looked for from the setting up of this Committee as might be expected from the formation of a National _ Ministry concerned only for the national welfare.