Sir Joseph Ward,

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 25, 24 October 1918, Page 8

Sir Joseph Ward,

Sir Joseph Ward, in the course of a brief epeecn, mentioned that ho had beeu' in the United States when 13,030,01)0 men had registered in a single day for military service. Thai had represented the •beginning of u mighty effort. But it ought not to be forgotten at the present time that Great Britain had done more than any other country to win the war and that Britain's effort was not going to be exceeded by that of any other country. (Applause) Britain had provided and maintained the mightiest navy that the world had ever seen, oiui in doing that had saved the whole world, including the' United States. Britain had played a great part in stemming the original (foiw.n. rush into France, and the ''contemptible little army" that she had been able to put into the field in August, 191J, had grown until the armed forces of the Kmpiro numbered 7 500,000 men, .the great majority of them coming from the United Kingdom. Germany had hud 6,ooo,ooo'fully trained soldiers at the OUilt:et of the irair, but to-day her armies were falling back before the attack of the Allied forces. lie hoped that the Allies would grant no armistice and lisltn to no talk of peace until Marshal Foeh had reached Berlin and raised the flags of the Allies there. That was what the British and Dominion soldiers bad fought for. The Germans now were trying to gain time, but he thought they had (ho wrong men to deal with. (Applause.) • The defeat of the Germans was ossured, and he believed there was no chance o[ the German flag ever again being raised in the Pacific. Sir Joseph Ward mentioned the wonderful achievements of Britain on the mechanical side during the war, and particularly during the last two years. The provision of railways, behind the lines on tho West front had been in itself the result of extraordinary skill, courage, and resource. The Germans had lxmsted of their Navy, and had claimed a victory when their baitle-fleet met a portion of the British Fleet off Jutland. But they had never confessed to their losses in the "victory," and they had never ventured out of port again to test who were the. better men. "We are the better men, and we know it." added Sir Joseph Ward. (Applause.) "If we had lost Paris and the Channel ports last March, when the Germans made their great drive, would we 'have knuckled down? No. We would have sot ow teeth for a ten-years war. The Navy would have held the Germans, and mastered them gradually until we could send against them an army strong enough to wrest from them all' they had gained—all they would have gained in March last but for the heroic stand made by the British troops, • the New /ealonders among them." (Applause.)' The proceedings closed with the National Anthem.