DOMINION'S WAR COST.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1919, Page 5

DOMINION'S WAR COST.

SMALL CHANCE OF SECURING INDEMNITY. By Telegrajph. —Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Asked whether he expected that New Zealand under the indemnity and reparation proposals in the peace treaty would receive any repayment for the expenditure incurred in connection with the part she took in thß war, Sir Joseph Ward said it was exceedingly difficult to forecast the outcome in this respect. He was quite firm in hia view that the enemy should pay the cost of the war and also bear the burden of the restoration of the ruined cities, towns, and villages in Belgium and France, where nrnch of the destruction had been wilfully carried out by enemy forces, but no definite estimate of the remilt of the financial proposals of the treaty could in his opinion be made at present. It was necessary to wait and see. Meantime the only safe course for New Zealand to pursue from a financial stand- ' point was not to count upon anything coming to her at all under this heading. Indeed, he thought that all ether parts of the (British Empire, as well as our allies, except in the case of restoration work in [Prance and Belgium, were in a similar position in this respect.