NEW ZEALAND'S INTEREST IN THE PACIFIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1918, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND'S INTEREST IN THE PACIFIC.

MR WILFOUD RECOMMENDS JOINT ACTION. Auckland, April 30 Referring to the cable message making reference to suggested joint action by Britain, Australia and New Zealand, relative to their interest in the Pacific, the Hon. T. M. Wilfoni said: 'i believe the recommendation made of joint action between Australia and New Zealand in relation to their vital interests in the Pacific is a valuable one, and when Australia holds out her hand I am sure New Zealand will grasp it firmly. When New Zealand's representatives reach Great Britain they will unquestionably make the strongest and fullest representations on this question, but I feel sure that if a joint understanding could be arrived at on the many difficult problems confronting us as British communities in reference to these islands, and our represnitatives couldfi while in England, be furnished with the conclusions arrived at, the force of their representations would not lose impetus thereby. One of the great problems of the Pacific is indentured labour, many of those indentures having run out recently. The "Times Of India'j places the Indian side of the question clearly before those who carefully read the well-weighted utterances reported there. My own personal opinion, which is, of course, not expressing the opinion of the Cabinet as a whole, is that we should not delay in joining with Australia in any move likely to advance the safety of this Dominion and Australia in the Pacific, especially with relation to the interests of the whole great Empire of which we are the outposts." '