“FOR-WARDS!”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 34, 8 February 1913, Page 5

“FOR-WARDS!”

1 BY THE RIGHT! NEW ZEALAND v ßy Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.) London, February 7. The Duke and Duchess of Somerset, Lord Charles Beresford, Mr Walter Long, M.P., Lady Ward, the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie and Mrs Mackenzie, Sir P. Robinson and Lady Robinson, Sir Newton Moore and Lady Moore, besides others mentioned, were present at the Navy League luncheon. Tho Hon. R. Yerburgh, president of the Navy League, in proposing Sir Joseph Ward’s health, said that when the time came for the Dominion’s answer to tho question whether it would side Avith the Motherland on the sea, New Zealand’s response was prompt, fair and magnificent. No name stood higher than Sir Joseph Ward’s on the Empire’s roll of honour. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said that he was anxious to see the Empire’s defence removed from party politics. The Hon. J. Allen, responding to tho toast of “Imperial Defence,” said that Britain had so long been safe that she perhaps did not feel her danger. We sometimes wonderedwhether Britain was quite awake. The' ship was a visible evidence <* what) New Zealand was prepared to do. Ho 1 ventured to say that New Zealand was more patriotic than the Motherland. The Dominion was prepared: to make still greater sacrifices, but! they must be permanent and not spasmodic. The sacrifice that Australia was making was very gve.;t, and it was not that she might separate from the Empire, but to consolidate it. Neither could it be supposed that Canada had yet reached a stage at which she would be satisfied. PRESS APPROVAL. London, February 7. The Daily Mail applauds the offer to defer the sailing of the New Zealand, which has added yet another to the many deeds of patriotism which have laid Britain under a heavy debt to New Zealand.