SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2575, 9 August 1909, Page 5

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

ENTERTAINED by imperial cooperation LEAGUE. / A NOTABLE ADDRESS. "UNITED I’IIKHR AsSUIHAT'ON—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 Freemantle, Mr. Cathcart W ason, M.P., Mr. P. Kennedy, and Mr. Arthur Myers (Auckland). Lord Onslow, who presided, remarked that the present conference was a great milestone on the road to Imperial federation. New Zealand’s spon- . taneous offer of Dreadnoughts had given a splendid impulse, to the maintenance and continuity of ’ Imperial conferences. Lord Onslow, emphasising New Zealand’s placing Imperial defence in the forefront of her aspirations, concluded by hoping that Sir Joseph Ward would continue to give a lead to the Empire in order that it might be united in one common system of defence. Sir Joseph Ward, responding, said that he understood that the main purpose of the League was to help people to think Imperially. (Cheers.) Intelligent thought easily passed into action, and as soon as the bulk of us think and act together on great Imperial questions, the true consolidation and safety of the Empire was beginning to he assured. (Cheers.) The Empire was so vast and so diverse in conditions and interests that the problem of their coordination and consolidation would tax the wisest heads. Take defence, which was the foundation whereon the whole Imperial structure must rest. It was stated, on one hand, that there was need for one absolutely unfettered centre of control, to enable the whole i> roes of the Empire to be directed to one point-in case of necessity. It was stated, on the other hand, that the oversea Dominions would not be 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. f These two apparently conflicting views f were worthy of all the efforts that * were being made by statesmen in all parts of the Empire in the endeavor to solve them. He could not be expected to express an opinion or enter into details concerning the problem of reconciling them while the Naval Conference was sitting. Ho could, however, say that all present were animated by an earnest desire to help forward the great work of the defence of the Empire. Defence, though undoubtedly the greatest, was not the only Imperial matter wherein the interests of the Motherland and the oversea’ Dominions were not identical. He instanced shipping, regarding which, he remarked, the existence of conflicting interests had been recognised, and an earnest effort made to remove or reconcile them by conference. He believed in conferences. Days of honest, earnest talk round a table often accomplished more than years of memorandum printing. Isolated, intermittent conferences were makeshifts at the best. In his judgment, some scheme of continuity must be devised or must be evolved. Personally, he had unlimited faith in the ‘capacity of that remarkable figment •called the British Constitution, which was not one incomprehensible, but many ineomprehensibles, born nobody precisely knows when or how, and consisting no man precisely knows of what. Referring to the League’s work, he said they should send representatives to New Zealand. They would be heartily welcome, and New Zealanders would do their utmost to make them feel that they were in a British country, and they would be made at home as much As here. Sir Joseph Ward said he did not believe there was any decadence jfi England. Visitors who had seen at f Portsmouth those splendid lines of battleships, with 50,000 seamen, ready to strike for King and country, recognised that at heart the nation was true and had one desire —to elevate Old England to a still higher plane. In .order to remove any ascertainable causes that suggest expressions of decadence to the minds of some portions of the community, he proceeded to emphasise the need for improved cable communication in the direction of . cheapness, without- doing injury to the owners of private cables, in order to bring into close touch the people of all parts of the Empire. It was a great - cause to work for, and he would galdly .do anything in his power to help those engaged in what he regarded as a great Empire movement. (Cheers.) He appreciated Lord Onslow’s kindly allusion to New Zealand’s offer of Dreadnoughts, and claimed no eredit foz . doing what he considered a duty. Apart from the intrinsic worth of a Dreadnought, the moral effect would be incomparably greater. It was by cooperation in this and other directions that- we could do so much to figuratively, indeed literally, bring the oversea- Dominions closer into real touch with the Motherland. He had great 4k faith in the capacity of the British Constitution to adapt itself to the changes which must come if the nation is to abide as one great whole, instead iof splitting off into fragments. “In \ ‘Vr that day,” he said, “the oversea Doyjjr '‘ minions will not be dependencies. They will be your coheirs of a mighty Em- - pire, sharing with you) besides the burden of defence, the privilege and responsibility of Government.” (Cheers.)