EMPIRE DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9563, 9 August 1909, Page 5

EMPIRE DEFENCE.

SIR JOSEPH WARD ENTERTAINED. United Press Association-By Electric Telegraph Copyright. Received August 8, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, August 7. The Imperial Co-operation League entertained Sir Joseph Ward at luncheon. The guests included Lady Ward, Lord Hampden. Rear-Admiral Ottley, Sir Sanford Fleming, Dr Fitchett, Admiral Fremantle, Mr Cathcart Wagon, Mr P. Kennedy, and Mr Arthur Myers, of Auckland. Lord Onslow, who presided, remarked that the present Imperii Conference was a great milestone on the read to Federation. Lord Onslow concluded by hoping that Sir Joseph Ward would continue to give a lead to the Empire in order thafr v /we might be united on a common defence.

Sir Joseph Ward, in responding, said that he understood that the main purpose of the League was to help people to think Imperially. (Cheers). "Intelligent thought is easily passed into action," said Sir Joseph, "and as soon as the bulk of us think and act together on great Imperial questions, the true consolidation and safety of the Empire i* bound to be assured. (Cheers). Defence is the foundation whereon the whole Imperial superstructure must rest. It was stated on the one hand that there was need for one absolutely unfettered centre of control to enable the whole torces of tha Empire to be directed at one point in case of necessity. It was stated on the other hand that the oversea Dominions would not he justified in leaving themselves locally helpless; they would do best by relieving the Motherland of all or much of the burden of local defence, each Dominion controlling its own unit. These two apparently conflicting views were worthy of every effort that was being made by statesmen in all parts of the Empire in their endeavour to solve the matter." He could not be expected to express an I opinion or enter into details concerning the problem, while the Naval Conference was sitting. He could, however, say that all present were animated by an earnest desire to help forward the great work of the Empire. Our defence, th.ugh undoubtedly the greatest, was not the only Imperial wherein the interests of the Motherland and Oversea Dominions were not identical. He instanced the shipping, regarding which he remarked the existence of conflict in interests had been recognised, and an earnest effort was being made to remove or reconcile the matters in dispute by conference. He believed in conferences. A day's honest, earnest talk r.>und a tsbla often accomplished more than years of memorandum and printing. ! Isolated and intermittent conferences were makeshifts at the best. In hi" «• ■ - - "it ' :'- judgment some scheme of! continuity must be devised or must evolve. Personally he had unlimited faith in the capacity of tl.at remarkable figment called the British Constitu tion, which was composed not of one incomprehensible but of many incomprehensibles born nolo-iy .precisely knows when <>r how, and consisting of what no man precistl/ knows. Referring to the League's I work, should they send representa-

tives to New Zealand he would heartily welcome them, and New Z-alandera would do their utmoft to make them feel that th-y wu-3 in a British country, andthey would be made at home as much as they were here. Sir Joseph stii he did not believe there was any decadence in England. Visitors, who saw at Portsmouth those splendid lines of battleships wi*h 50,000 seamen reaay to strike for King ard country, recog • nised that at heart the nation was true. He emphasised the need of improved cable communication in the direction of cheapness without doing injury to the owners of private cables, to bring in close touch the people of all parts of the Empire.