THE CASH INDEMNITIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 64, 10 December 1918, Page 5

THE CASH INDEMNITIES

. NEW ZEALAND'S SHARE STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS. ■ The possibility of New Zealand being ablo to recover any of the cost of the war by sharing in the indemnity to be paid by Germany- was mentioned in i the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr. E. Newman asked the Prime Minister whether he had noticed the cablegram which appeared in llib papers of that morning in which it was atuted that Mr. Lloyd George would make the announcement that the cash .reparation that jintiiin and -Cue dominions would demand from Germany would be eight thousand millions sterling. _ fne report was that the.conimittee, winch had considered tho matter had been presided over by Mr. W; M. Hughes Prune Minister of Australia. He asked whether the. views of New Zealand were represented at that committee. • Mr. Massey raid that a few days ago the Imperial authorities had asked tlie New Zealand Government for details regarding what the Dominion had done in tbg war, the number of men sent, and the cost to the country. He presumed that this inquiry had been made on account of what was being done by the special committee that appeared to be sitting under the chairmanship of Mr. Hughes in London. Mr. Massey. added that his' own views, which he believed represented the views of Parliament and the people of New Zealand, had been expressed in an interview which had appeared in the London "Times" about a fortnight ago. He had made it perfectly clear that if the collection of an indemnity was possible New Zealand expected "to obtain a full share. Sir Joseph Ward endorsed what had been said by tho Prime Minister. He mentioned that while in London he had "been a member of a War Cabinet committee dealing with the question of indemnity. Strong representations were made then that. New. Zealand was to receive a shore of the indemnity. "It seems to ine quite obvious," said Sir Joseph Ward, "that the enemy should' pay. Nothing will be left undono to ensure that the British Empire gets its full share of the costs incurred in connection with this huge war. It is perfectly clear to me' that at all events Germany should be compelled to pRy the .whole of the interest and sinking fund until the complete extinction of the wiy loans of the> British Empire, including the overseas dominions. The people responsible for this huge and unparalleled war—the people responsible for starting the war-:will have to pay the bill." Sir James Allen said that a cablegram had already been dispatched to the Imperial authorities giving the total cost of the war to New Zealand, with an estimate of the cost up to March 31 next. Information had also been supplied with reference to Samoa.