OUR MINISTERS AT HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 July 1917, Page 5

OUR MINISTERS AT HOME.

IMPORTANT STATEMENTS. COMMERCIAL NEGOTIATIONS. HOPEFUL WAR OUTLOOK. '" DISPOSAL.OF GERMAN COLONIES.By Telegraph.—Press Association, i „ „ Well "igton, Last Night, In the House of Representatives today Mr. Massey said that in compliance with the desire expressed by many members lie and the Minister of Finance desired to lay before Parliament a statement of their recent visit to Britain, ana before they finished they hoped to make it plain that it was not entirely a picnic as some people seemed to suppose Heproposed to divide his remarks under several heads—(l) commercial business; (2) outlook of war; (3) business of the \Var Cabinet and the War Conference. With regard to the War Cabinet, he desired to say at the outset that the business was confidential, and could not be divulged. With regard to the War Conference, he understood a report had been published in England, which was now available. DISPOSAL OF OUR PRODUCE. Speaking first of the commercial business, he said they wore met in a most friendly spirit by the British authorities. Everyone agreed that the authorities had the right during the war to commandeer produce. The only question was the price to be paid for it. The -Imperial departments admitted .that in view' of the rise of prices they we're justified in asking for an increase", and as the result of negotiations prices were agreed upon that he thought would stand till the end of the war and a long time after. On the subject of cheese, he was of opinion that the first offer was not satisfactory, and he protested. Subsequently the authorities agreed to give 9y.d f.0.6. New Zealand for this season, which he was able to agree to. .He further thought that New Zealand cheese would be again commandeered this year, and they had an understanding that no higher'"prices would be paid for Canadian cheese than for ours, other things being equal. Then the greatest difficulty was in reference to wool, but they ultimately agreed upon 55 per cent, over pre-war prices, by no means a bad arrangement. In all these transactions the Imperial Government was taking the rißk of storage and shipping, and, as showing the magnitude of the transactions, if we had been able to get all our produce shipped the revenue to this would have amounted to something like thirty millions. They, however, had gone on the principle that they were not entitled to squeeze the last farthing out of the British Government. THE SHIPPING DIFFICULTY.. The very greatest difficulty from a commercial point of view was to obtain shipping to carry the produce. He need not say that war purposes must come first. It must also be understood that British shipping had to do a great deal of carrying for the Allies, and when put to them to choose getting New Zealand produce away or keeping the armies fed and supplied with munitions, they felt there was simply not -any choice. The submarine warfare had, of course, made the position much more critical, especially in compelling neutral ships to remain in port. The worst, however, he thought, is now over, as the longest day had now passed, and the season favorable to submarines was nearing a close. The arming of ships was also tending to curtail the operations of submarines, whilst the use of destroyers and the factor of American and Japanese destroyers helping, the sea planes, and building ships in compartments, would all help ultimately to defeat the submarine campaign. STARVATION OF ENGLAND IMPOSSIBLE, The attempt to starve Britain must fail. He admitted there was a shortage of certain classes of food there, but starvation was not possible. The cost oj living had gone up enormously, but with many of the people their earnings had also increased. Everyone must admire the calm confidence with which the British people viewed the war. They appeared quite determined to go on indefinitely, so that we should win the war. VISIT TO FRANCE. Their visit to France was most pleasant, since they saw many New Zealand soldiers and witnessed their cheerful disposition. They received no complaints, in spite of the great amount of mud and inconvenience they.had to put up with. There had been no epidemics of sickness, and in that' way may this war be said to be unlike all other wars in which Britain has been engaged. The hospitals in France werC: most admirably conducted, and all tin? New Zealand inmates could only speak in the highest terms of the manner in which they were treated. In England the same could be sa'i'd generally. There were about, a thousand New] Zealanders at Walton-on-ThaiUcS, whili}; at Brockenhurst and Hornchurcfi hospitals for convalescents there were largo) 'members of contented wouAided meii..; They visited the great camps on Salisr bury plain, and saw many New Zealand-; ers there. They were men by Colonel; Smith, who was spoken of as a particu? larly fine officer, also General Richardt son, who was in charge of all the Now' Zealanders in Britain, and he also wa? a very fine officer, and the Imperial au; thorities were exceedingly anxious to. send him back to the front,, but the.; Government thought ho could, not be spared from his present position, , He paid a warm tribute to the other officers, and the services of the nurses, who had everywhere done just what was expected. THE WAR OUTLOOK. Speaking of the war generally, he said it had been rightly described as ''Hell," but he met New Zealanders who said Gallipoli was "Hell with the lid off." Personally he felt strongly about Gallipoli, but the campaign was too close jot to us to properly apportion the biame for a blunder that amounted to a crime. We knew little of the real honor of war, it being brought home much more closely to the British people, and he had already referred to their -;he»rful spirit under the most terrible circumstances. The outlook was promising, We had achieved great victories this year in the East and West, and had Russia been able to hold out he was confident the war would have ended this year. The •ntry of America into the war, however';' neutralised the failure of Russia,.and he

could not but regard with the greatest) satisfaction the faot of the two greatest branches of the Anglo-Saxon race .now; fighting side by 6ide in the <jausefoFTiuuaanity and freedom. # GERMANY BEATEN. , Germany was undoubtedly beaten, although not crushed." She was fighting for time, therefore there must be nothing in the shape of a premature peace. If that eventuated the first thing Germany would ask for would be the return of. her colonies in which we have especial interest. Therefore, we must bb in a position to dictate our own terms. When that time came he only hoped sufficient notive would be given so ai to enable overseas representatives to be pre'-sent-and have a voice in the-important negotiations. As a result of Britain's entry into the fight Germany had cultivated a bitter hatred against us. She would never forgive us, and his deliberate opinion was that so far as the Empire was concerned, nothing mattered but winning the war, THE WAR CONFERENCE. Mr Massey described the circumstance* which led to the formation of the War Cabinet, and War Conference, wherd.representatives of the Dominions sat round the table on a perfect equality with British statesmen for the first time in, history. He defended the action of Sir Joseph Ward and himself in remaining in England to attend these conferences, where the business was far more important than anything in this country could be that awaited them. They accepted the full responsibility for not re-i turning to New Zealand early in the year, and under the same ciroumstances would do the same again. As the result of meeting the representatives of India at these conferences ho was confident that should international difficulties arise between that country and the Dominions, it could be much more easily settled than if an exchange of ideas had not taken. place in London. The policy of Imperial pre-eminence advocated by him at: the conference had been agreed to, and it was now the policy of the Empire.' BRITAIN'S FISCAL POLICY. There was a great change taking place in.Britain on the fiscal policy. The change was going on the lines of preference advocated by Lord Balfour ot Burleigh's committee, with which he ea« tirely agreed. As a result of the visit he was thoroughly convinced we mu3t have the quickest means of communication by the shortest routes.; The sea was our highway, and if public money had to be used for the purpose of achieving that object it should be done. He was not prepared to say that shipping could not be carried on by the State, and if private enterprise was not adequate to re- . quirements then the State must step in. That was one way of securing preference, and the adjustment of harbor dues was another, and we must seek tr conserve our own people as settlers in our own Empire. Speaking of Imperial matters, Mr. Massey said no effort had been made to the building up of the Empire after the war, but he'was utterly opposed to any action that would 'destroy the freedom of the Dominions to manage theii own affairs. He warned the House against any attempt to set up a so-called Imperial Parliament outside the Dominions which would have the power to control the finances of these dominions. Any false step in this direction would delay the true Imperial movement indefinitely He explained his efforts to preserve the ' sacred graves on Gallipoli, and to secure special recognition for the men who had fought there. The House rose at 6.30 and returned at 7.30. THE GERMAN COLONIES. Continuing, Mr. Massey said he couH not disclose the decisions of the conference on the question of the German colonies, but his own opinion was that they would not be handed back. From out point of view these colonies must not be returned to Germany, enabling her to establish naval bases, wireless and othei means for hampering the British race, A great change was taking place hi British opinion on the subject of the colonies, and he thought in our own in' terests we ought to proclaim our objection to the German colonies in the South Pacific on every possible occasion. GOOD TIMES AHEAD. Concerning the meat trusts, he declared his confidence; that Sir Albert Stanley, chairman of the British Board or Trade, would scotch such trusts, and by means of preference would in tithe make the Empire self-supporting so far as food supplies were concerned. So far as those supplies from this country were concerned, he looked forward to good times in the years'to come After the war there was bound to be a big demand for our mean, lamb and wool, and to those concerned he gave that opinion for what it was worth, He eulogised the money organisations formed in England, and at the front for the assistance and providing of comforts ' for soldiers. If over organisations in this world followed the Divine injunction, these charitable men and women were doing it. Concluding, he said that though small it could be truly said that New Zealand was not behind any other part of the Empire in the great and grand work it • was! doing in the Crucial test through which we wore now passing.