PEACE CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 55, 29 November 1918, Page 5

PEACE CONFERENCE

URGENT CALL FOR NEW ZEALAND DELEGATES

STATEMENT BY MR. MASSEY

LEADERS TO LEAVE IN TEN DAYS

THE'TASK AHEAD

Hi© Erimo Minister made a statement in. tho House of Representatives last night regarding the representation of New Zealand at tho Peace Conference. Ho mentioned first that he had received a further communication from the Imperial authorities urging that ho and Hir Joseph Ward should leave New Zealand for London at the earliest possiblo moment. Ho did not think it would be possible, owing to the running of the steamers, tor thdtu to leave i*or ten days yet.

' "I hope that during the time wo are here, said Mr. Massey, "we shall be able to get at least all the most important legislation of this session dealt with I know perfectly well that tho majority ot the members of this House will help us in that direction. Wo do not want to pass legislation hurriedly, but members will realise from .the cablegrams from the Imperial Government the importance winch is attached to the proceedings of the Peace Conference. I think the most important Bill wo have to deal with is tho Finance Bill now before the House. \ thmk comes tllß Liquor Bill, which has not yet been circulated, and which has not been finally dealt with by Cabinet. There is a Bill dealing with liydro-electno power. That Bill also is ready. _ There is some necessary legislation with regard to repatriation. It is exceedingly important legislation, but I do not think that it is in any way contentious. It ought to have a very easy passage through the House. There is a Bill dealing with profiteering, referred to in the Governor's Speech, and another Bill dealing with.the Meat Trust. This Bill will be referred to the Stock Committee, and that committee mav take evidence upon it. It is one of the most important of the Bills. Several minor Bills will come up for consideration. Then there is tho Public Works Statement, which is ready, and the Public Works Estimates, which have been prepared. We shall have the usual W.«ch-ing-up Bill and the Supplementary Estimates. I believe that the whole of tho remaining work of the session can be done in eight days, if there is no waste of time.

Mr. G. Witty (Eiccarton): Don't rush anything. ■■■

Mr. Massey: I have no intention of rushing anything. It is not necessary. Referring again to the Peace Conference, tho Prime Minister said the subject most prominent in the it.inds of New Zealand people was the disposal of the Pacific Islands. Tho British Government was quite. sound on that point, and there would be no difficulty as far as British Ministers were concerned. But many nations would be represented at the Peace Conference, and he had been advised that it must not be taken for granted that Britain would retain the Pacific Islands withoiit a struggle. He believed they would be retained, but it was not. a cortaitity. Mr. J. A. Young (Waikato): Is it suggested that Germany will recover them? Sir. Massey said ho did not think Germany would recover the islands, but they might go to some other Power. New Zealand certainly did not want any system of dual control. He-did not need to tell members, sdded the Primo Minister, that the Peaco Conference was going to mako serious alterations in the map of Europe, and indeed in the nap of the world. Alsace-Lorraine would be retained by Franco. He thought thnt Schlos-wig-Holstein would go to Denmark, but he was not as certain about that as ho was that Alsaco-Lorraine would go to France. There wore many other matters to bo settled. A Slav State would be established in the Balkans, and.this was a matter of great importance to Now Zealand nnd Australia, because the existence of such a State would mako it impossible for Germany to push eastward again along the Hue of the Bagdad railway nnd threaten Egypt, India, and tho communications of the British Empire. The fate of tho Dardanelles was a matter of great concern to the peoples of Australasia. They were interested also in Palestine, but lie was not at all sure that Palestiuo would bo retained under the control of the British Empire. We could not go into details.

Mr. J. Payne (Grey Lynn): Leave it to us, (Laughter.) The Primo Minister foreshadowed great changes in the map of Africa. Ho hoped that German East Africa would not revert to Germany; since if it did it would be a menace to the communications between Britain and Australasia; It would dominate the Suez Canal in vears to come.

Then there was the question of indemnities. Ho had not the faintest idea what tho Allied Powers would be able to get from Germany. It was almost impossible at tho present time for anybody to judgo what was the financial position of Germany. It was known that Ger. many was an exceedingly rich country. Mr. J. V. Brown (Napier): They have lots of raw materials. Mr. Massey: "They were always anxious to buy our raw materials. I hopo they will never have tho opportunity to do that again, or to sell us their manufactured goods." He felt that New Zealand was interested in the question of indemnities, sinco if the Allies were able to extract some indemnity from Germany Now Zealand would have a share in proportion to her war effort. He hoped that the German Navy would be confiscated. Ho would like to support the ton-for-ton policy as far as the mercantile marine was concerned. That was to say, tho Germans should replace the shipping they had destroyed, as far as their own shipping would go." It would bo an exceedingly dangerous thing to return the German fleet to its former owners. Germany had got to bo broken now so that she would not be ablo to meuaco. the peaco of the world for a century, or perhaps for centuries to come. If the German Navy wero going to be divided among the Allies, ho would liko to see Now Zealand given possession of a little cruiser or two.

The Prime Minister mentioned the importance of securing possession of Nnrew Island, whoro New Zealand could get a supply of phosphate manures. One of the questions that would come before tho Peace Conference would bo the fiscal arrangements of tho Empire. Mr. Payne (Grey Lynn): Wo must not have any interference with our own arrangements. Mr. Mnsscy: "We are going to retain the right to manage our own affairs. Don't make any mistake about that." But ho considered it most important that satisfactory arrangements should bo made between tho British Empire and tho countries that had been allied with tlio Empire during the present war. Ho did not doubt that something would ho dono along the lines that had been laid down at the Paris Conference. The whole question would come up at the Peace Conference, and it was most important that New Zealand should bo represented there.

Tho naturalisation question was another matter euro to be dealt with by tho Conference, added Mr. Massoy. Then there were proposals that had been put forward by Japan during tho last few days. Japan had played the jranie during tho present war, and she was entitled to just and gonorous treatment, but the British peoples must bo sure that the .Tapancso proposals wero reasonable. Tho control of the New Hobrides would bo mentioned. The dual control by Britain and France had not been a success, and he hoped that something hotter would bo done. Then there was tho "freedom of tho seas." Ho was not sure what President Wilson meant; by tlio freedom- of the seas. Tlio lonii must be interpreted in such a. way ,vo as not lo place the British people at a disadvantage.

In conclusion, Mr. Massey said that he had mentioned a few of tho matters that wero going to be discussed and settled at the Peace Conference. The presence of Dominion Ministors was necessary to strengthen the hands of British statesmen. He believed that

tho great majority of tho people of New Zealand, us well as tho members of Parliament, were of opinion that he and Sir Joseph Ward ought to leave for tho Conference, in lime io ho able to take part in its deliberations. They probably could not arrive for the opening of tho Conferenco now, but they could got thorn in time to assist in settlinij somo of the imnnrlant issues. Tie could only appeal lo members to assist iti; nutling through the important work of the session without delay.

Dr. Newman (Wellington East): Who is foing lo be the resident Minister in London ?

Mr. Massey: That is a matter that can stand over until wo koI Hank. Them is no urgent necessity to ileal with it now. Mow Zealand will br> royirnsenW by the two leaders at Iho Peace Conference. I liavo no doubt New Zealand will make 'arrangements for further representation in (lip time-to come.