TERMS OF THE TREATY.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1919, Page 9

TERMS OF THE TREATY.

'NEW ZEALAND'S CHARGE, VIEWS OF THE PEACE ENVOYS. BELIEF FROM WAR BURDENS. London, .June 14. Some observations 011 the terms of Iho Peace Treaty were made by the New Zealand Ministers at a farewell luncheon given by the High Commissioner for the Dominion at the Connaught Rooms yesterday. Most of the Ned Zealand community were present, and also a number of prominent Englishmen who have interested themselves throughout the war in the welfare of the New Zealand troops.

Discussing the work of the Peace Conference, Mr. Massey said it was easy So be wise after the event, but lie thought now it would ha."e been much better to have let side issues alone and to have devoted themselves to the terms of peace alone- (Hear, hear.) Still, he was- not finding fault with the League of Nations. On the contrary, he thoroughly believed in it. It it was possible to make such a league a success the people to do it were Iho Allied nations, who had taken up the cause of right in' the war, and had won a victory for that vau.se. Hut there was no getting away from the laet that there were millions of people in the world who would acknowledge no argument but force, arid consequently the league would liavu to have force behind it to effect its purpose; LEAGUE NOT LAST WORD. That brought up I,lie whole question of disarmament. It was a mistake to think that when the league was ses up there was nothing more to be done—to suppose that it would come into being fully matured and ready to take action if necessary. Turbulent nations must realise that they could not bring war upon the world without being compelled themselves to bear the consequences. Mi'. Massey said Samoa was a group of islands with a population of about 35,000, the real importance of which was the strategic position tliev occupied. Good authorities had expressed the opinion that they were one of the two most important positions in the Pacific, and when New Zealand sent her representatives t,o the Peace Conference their instructions were to see that the group did not go back to Germany, or be handed over to any other Power, but should remain liritish. If Great Britain were willing to accept the group, New Zealand would readily withdraw all her claims and gladly hand over iho group to Great Britain! but this wa shrdlush to Great Britain. But this was not possible, and the best solution, therefore, was for New Zealand to keep Samoa. In becoming the mandatory Power, New Zealand certainly accepted some responsibility. As far as Samoa was concerned, lie felt confident that it would not cost New Zealand a single shilling. There was a difficulty at present with regard to labor. Practically all the labor under the German regime came from China, fie could not say how long that would be allowed to go on. Personally, he did not want, to get labor from 'China if they could possibly avoid it, and he believed they could find sufficient labor in tho South Seas to work the plantations. (Hear, hear.) A PACIFIC FEDERATION. Mr. _ Massey recalled the old Maori tradition that the Maoris themselves had come from the island ot' Savaii, in Samoa, and emphasised the fact.that the New Zealand people, possessing these islands far scattered over the Pacific, must inevitably be a maritime race. He believed that in timo New Zealand would be the head of the most important island federation—a British federation—in the Pacific. (Applause.) As it was, she would make her voice heard amonfl the nations of the British Commonwealth. She would not have the slightest hesitation in facing Parliament and asking its approval of wnat they had done at the conference. (Applause ) Sir Joseph Ward said the work of the Peace Conference was of such a gigantic nature, a resettlement of practically the whole world, that it could not possibly have been carried through \n shorter time than it had taken, in the unparalleled-situation in which the war Jeft the world, with its tremendous finan'cial burdens, there were only two things that could help the taxpayer to carrv liis load. There must lie an enorn' nisly increased production every where (hear, hear), and there nuint- be, on the part of the people, both here and everywhere else, a determination to save in' directions which they had never before contemplated. That was the onlj way in which they could face the future. " He Was one of those who believed in the genius, of the British race, and lie believed they would manage, by education, patience, and co-operation, to get into the new groove into which everyone would have to go. They must 'look their d/licullios squarely 'in the face, and, above all things, lie appealed to them to recognise as one of the basic foundations of reconstruction the common sense of the masses of the working people. The Bolshevik idea of seining men's possessions would, in the end. be the most destructive idea for the interests of the working man himself. They must, in tho press and in Parliament, teach the doctrine of sound commonsense,