NEWZEALAND'S INTERESTS

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 128, 26 November 1918, Page 3

NEWZEALAND'S INTERESTS

TO TH» BDITOR.

Sir, —Iv your issue of the 23rd inst. a letter appears over the pseudonym "Pass It Along," and it is safe to say that in following the arguments laid down some months ago in your paper by a correspondent the writer is on safe ground, and will be backed up by people of the community, who, even after our great victory, succeed in maintaining their mental balance. The suggestion that Mr. Mnssey and- Sir Joseph Ward should again visit England, this time to attend the Peace Conference, causes one to ask why, if their purpose was effected on their firet visit, is it necessary for them to leave the Dominion, to go over, so far as one can see, the same ground ? Mr. Massey and also Sir Joseph Ward have told the public that they were successful in .producing on tho British Government the effect desired. And this,is confirmed in the-cablegram which appears on pago 8 of your. Saturday issue. This statesthat the. Lloyd George Government will wholly support the Dominions' claims. In what way can the. proposed visit strengthen the position? And is it not patent to any person that the British Empire will not fail in its duty to protect every portion of that Empire, no matter how far removed from its capital? Because to endanger New Zealand by the return of the German colonies in the Paciiio would be a danger to the Empire. We are dn a position to-day which, notwithstanding our great victory, requires the utmost perspicacity in the men at the head of public affairs, and no' matter how( great tho endowment, it is valueless to the Dominion if the persons endowed are, at a vital moment, twelve, thousand miles a,way from tho Dominion's capital. It would, doubtless, be for the two leaders interested a matter of sublime satisfaction to record for their posterity the fact that they were members of the greatest of all Peace Conferences; and that they helped to swell the galaxy of splendid personages present, and added generally to the gaiety of the nations represented. Alas! the happy soon forget the unhappy. But even if it were an absolute necessity for a representative, from this Dominion to be present at the Peace Conference, cannot the country see, by now, the position of incongruity we occupy by failing to separate the two leaders on such an occasion ? Why cannot one of them go to Scylla and the other to Charybdis ? Is it not time to, consider and come to a conclusion whether there are not persons outside political life who can represent the Dominion at the Conference? Is there no voice in the non-political citizens of Wellington ? Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward will do well to stay here, especially as there is no lack of representatives in London iti"-the person of Sir Thomas Mackenzie and, say, Mr. Peuiber Reeves, etc., who at every point know the sentiment and desire of the Dominion equally well with our political heads. There is another point on which Mr. Massey and Sir Jo;cph Ward should fix an nndeviating eye—the repatriation of our soldiers., These should receive no perfunctory treatment, such as might cause the birth of impressions that their gloriously marvellons efforts and life-sur-rendering sacrifices are forgotten.—l am, etc., ■ N.Z. Trentham, 23rd November.