HON. W. F. MASSEY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1921, Page 3

HON. W. F. MASSEY

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIAI'IO

• Received This Day at 8 a.m.j ijONDON, June 11. Speaking at the # Rhodes Trustees Dinner, Oxford. Mr Massey said he Held strongly of the opinion that greater opportunities faced Imperial statesmen to-day than ever hitherto in the Empire’s history. He hoped the opportunity would not he missed at the conference to do something of a substantial benefit to the citizens of the Empire, particularly in the direction of defining the Dominions’ relations to each other, and to England. He strongly favoured the principle of partnership between the nations forming the Empire, but a partnership earn’d duties and responsibilities in addition to rights and privileges. There was a serious weakness in the present system of the conference. Up to the signature of the peace treaty the War Cabinet did magnificent work, its decisions in important subjects being the decisions of the whole Empire. Since then the Dominions had not enjoyed representation in the Em pire Government, which was not satisfactory to loyalists oversea, and ought to be righted. He wanted to see arrangements and an understanding reached tending to keep British stock and native races which loyally had stood together during the war, muted in such a way that it would be impossible to break up tile British Empire.

MR MASSEY HELD UP

(Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, June 12. Mr Massey left Oxford in a motor car at mid-night accompanied- by Mr Thompson (secretary), and Drew (assistant secretary), and Colonel Grigg, military secretary to the Prince of Wales during his Australasian tour. When approaching Uxbridge, at two o’clock, the party were suddenly confronted by an obstruction extending across the road surmounted by red lights. Owing to reports of night outrages in the neighbourhood of London, Sinn Reiners having stopped motor cars and searched the occupants, tlie driver promptly pulled up the car and awaited developments. After a minute’s delay, half a dozen policemen appeared and many others remained in the hackground. The police cross questioned Drew, who was seated beside the driver, examined the driver’s papers, inspected the car front and hack and noted tin’ registered number. Mr Thompson explained that the party inside the car included the Prime Minister of New Zealand. The police did not intenogate the passengers inside. After ten minutes delay the police removed the obstruction and the car proceeded to London. Thompson asked the officer directing the police what was the object of the stoppage. The policeman answered that he was not) allowed to divulge. Tt is understood all the main roads in London were similarly blocked last nhdit, with the purpose of arresting : a much wanted Sinn Fein leader believed to be responsible for ’the recent : campaign of sabotage around London. Mr Massey was interested, but was not disturbed by the incident.