WHEN PEACE COMES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1691, 27 March 1917, Page 4

WHEN PEACE COMES.

WILL SAMOA BE KEPT ? NEED OF A POWERFUL NAYY. London, Jan. 30. Sir Joseph Ward was the principal speaker at the annual Corrohoree on Australia Day of the London branch of the Australian Nativcs’s Association, when the Australian and New Zealand military nurses were the guests of honour. The proceedings took place in the Connaught Rooms, and were a great success. Introducing himself as a born Australian and a young New Zealander, Sir Joseph Ward referred to the large number of nurses present, and said they had done magnificently in this war. It was not Australia and New Zealand alone who were doing their part. There were also the British Tommies, Canadians, South Africans, the Indians, and Pacific Islanders, all of whom were going to help, with our Allies, to win this great war to victory. Wo were passing through a new stage in the world’s history. The Empire and its different parts were united as never before, and he felt sure that the close of the war would see New Zealand and Australia cemented together stronger than thev had ever been before.

Sir Joseph then went on to say that Australia and New Zealand would never be content with a reversion to the condition of things v, I eh existed in pre-war days, and if here were people in this country v.!• j thought otherwise they made a supreme mistake. (Applause),. lie saw with great regret in 1 hat heneficient Note which the Allies sent to the United Slates, laying down firmly and definitely the conditions that thev desired to have in the shape of peace terms —lie regretted, lie said, to sec there was no word of reference to those islands in the Pacific which Australia and New Zealand should never give back to the enemy. He noticed, too, the absence of a reference to our kith and kin in South Africa. So far as he was concerned, there should be a reversion to Haitian, and to Britain only of those territories in Africa conquered from the South Africans, and of New Guinea and Samoa. Australia and New Zealand, he telt sure, would never be content if anything else wen 1 allowed to be done.

The Oversea Dominions were one in their determination to continue to provide the men and their share of the money to co-operate with this powerful Motherland, which had done during the lasi eighteen months more than any other country in the world could have done. The men from

overseas would continue to support those who were responsible for the direction of affairs, and they saw with amazement the unequalled effort which the Old Hand had put forth. This centre of the Empire in eighteen months had provided five millions of soldiers, equipped in every possible way, and had shown the world what England could do. After all these events, the President of the United States dared to suggest that the Americans should be the people to tell us what our peace terms should he. Sir Joseph declared that (he men who fought were the ones entitled to have their say at the right time, and when the psychological moment arrived then the great British Government —the greatest Government in the world —would see to it that that victory brought to the Empire a sure peace that would last throughout generations. Alien that peace was assured then would be the lime for responsible men liiroughoul the Empire to help to firing some other system which would lake the place of the present free system. This had done an enormous amount of good in keeping us together, hut the future demanded further measures. The Empire would he welded into one under the Hag of power and justice. (Applause.)

The New Zealand Premier was the "lies! of the .Junior Constitutional Club at dinner when Mr Kose-lnnes, K.C., presided, and other guests ineiuded Sir Joseph Ward and Sir Thomas Maekenzie.

Replying to the toast of his health Mr Massey expressed the hope that the time was not far distant when arrangements would be perfected for bringing the different parts of the Empire into closer and more permanent union. There would be diliieullies in the way of the eonsummation of such a scheme, but they would not be found to be serious if we did not attempt to do too much at once. What was wanted was not a Federation of Slates, but the drawing closer together of the Mother Country and the young nations of the British Empire. Dealing with the war, he said that lie and Sir Joseph Ward had good reason for being more optimistic

than they were when they arrived in this country, two or three months ago.

Sir Joseph Ward responded to the toast of “The Oversea Dominions,” and he hoped that the men who were to lake part in the coming Imperial Conference would see that it was not a mere formal conference; that it did not content itself with settling one or two matters connected with the war, and leave everything else to be dealt with after the war. If this Conference did not do something practical and workable, but simply passed a series of resolutions, and allowed them to remain inoperative for some future time, it would be a fruitless conference. It must create a system that would enable us as an Empire to stand by one another in peace time as well as in war time; in the ecomjmie war that was to come, as well as in the struggle in which we are now engaged. (Cheers). Above all, it should do something towards creating an Imperial Navy that would not only guard the shores of Britain, but the shores of evevry dominion of the Empire —a Navy so powerful that no other country in the world would be able to bear the financial responsibility of coming within “coo-ee” of it. (Cheers).

Sir Jisepli Ward visited tlit* Brotherhood meeting at the Browning Hall, Walworth, on Sunday, and said he believed there could be only one way in which the peace of (he world could be perpetuated after the war, and that was by rightthinking people in the majority of the great Bowers of the world banding together and saying to any one of the Powers which attempted to eider on a destructive course such as they now saw that they would combine and light him to the death. On the night op the Silver!own explosion. Sir Joseph was presiding over a lecture by Sir Charles Lucas, at King's College, under the auspices of the British Kmpire Club. When the explosion occurred a big plate-glass window behind the platform broke, and there was much speculation as to what had happened. Sir Joseph caA'.ed all fears, and the lecture was proceeded with. On Tuesday Sir Joseph visited Silvertown and inspected the damage done. Next day he went to St. Dunslaifs Hostel, when many blind soldiers were presented with memorial copies of Shakespeare. On Thursday both Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward attended the lecture at (he If oval Society of Arts on the relief of Belgium, by Mr Hoover, chairman of the American Committee.