FOR DISARMAMENT

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 14, 11 October 1921, Page 6

FOR DISARMAMENT

WASHINGTON CONFERENCE NEW ZEALAND WILL BE REPRESENTED MR. MASSEY’S VIEWS The Prime Minister referred to the Washington conference when he was speaking at the civic reception in Wellington yesterday. He indicated that New Zealand would be represented at this conferenco, which was going to consider the question of disarmament. He stated also that in the mean-, time the British Empire could not afford to be out-distanced by other Powers in tho building of warships, and that the four huge battleships now being built in Britain, by decision of the Imperial Conference, would be “Empire ships,” the Dominions paying a share of the cost. Mr. Massey was applauded when he said that he wished the Disarmament Conference all success. He hgped that the basis of permanent peace would be arranged. His own idea was that if peace was to bo assured, the threegreat naval Powers, Britain, the United States, and Japan, must come together and arrange for it. He could speak for Britain’s willingness to join hands with tho other Powers in such an arrangement. Tho whole world wants peace-, to recover from the awful wastage of war. Tho difficulties in the way were not insuperable, and he would like to think that when the representatives of tho three Powers came together they woul<| achieve what they were aiming at. Ho added that he did not think the conference had been well managed up to the present. He had been extremely disappointed when the Americans declined to make arrangements for a preliminary conference that would have given NewZealand and Australia an opportunity to bo heard. No other countries were as intensely interested in tho future of the Pacific as Australia and New Zealand were, and it would have been mere courtesy to the Prime Ministers of these countries to have let them express their opinions before they left that side of the wqrld. He thought it ought to have been done. But it had not been done. Ho was reassured, however, by the fact that tho members>of the Imperial Conference had all become well acquainted with the Australasian Dominions’ point of view.

“All the same, New Zealand intends to be represented there,” added the Prime Minister. “We cannot afford to let it go. Australia is being represented. I cannot go to Washington. That is quite certain. I am very much better pleased, as a matter of fact, to stay nt home and attend to the business that urgently requires attention. But I hope to be able to make a statement to-mor-row or the next day regarding New Zealand’s -representation, and to tell Parliament what we arc doing in connection with what may turn out to be the most important conference ever held. “We all want to see tho disarmament conference succeed. But wo cannot take risks. ’Two of the great naval Powers of the world have been hard at work for the past two years building enormous warships, the most powerful engines of war the world has ever seen. If wo watched this process for a. couple of years xmore without taking action Britain would become tho third naval Rower instead of the first- We cannot afford to he third naval Power. It was for this reason that the Prime Ministers assembled at the Imperial Conference decided that it was Britain’s duty to lay down some battleships. . “The keels have been laid, I think, of four great battleships that will cost nearly £30000,000 when they arc launched and that will Ijo several years in building. I have been behind the scenes and have learned many things that 1 cannot tell you about. As your 'representative I was impressed with what is happening. The position must bo this: Those four ships will bo Empire ships, and even- country of the Empire will have a share. (Applause.) The tune will come when New Zealand will be called upon to contribute to the building of those ships, and perhaps others in vears to come. I have uo doubt at all that New Zealand will do its share. New Zealand’s share will be comparatively small, but I was able to say that I was confident that New Zealand would do its share. I can assure you, at the same time, ihat the finance of no Dominion will lx- interfered with. If will ho for the Parliament of each Dominion to say what its share will be. (Applause.)