N.Z. UNITED PARTY

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 198, 22 August 1928, Page 7

N.Z. UNITED PARTY

SIR J. WARD AT HEAD ?

Invitation To Take Leadership Re-Affirmed. DECISION ON ARRIVAL HERE. (Australian and X.Z. Press Association.) (Received 10 a.m.) ANCOUVER, August 21. Sir Joseph "\\ ard, in an interview, re-affirmed his previous statement in regard to the leadership of the New Zealand United party. He said: "Fifty candidates of the I nited party have asked me to accept the leadership of that body. The invitation was contained in a cable received before I reached Winnipeg. It obviously would not be fitting to accept yet, but upon arrival T will be met by 50 candidates and will give my answer. I have so informed them by cable." Sir Joseph said he had received no communication from the leaders of the party intimating that a section of the party was opposed to his leadership. The situation, he added, was the result of a political skirmish. He had not invited the offer. Sir .Toseph expressed the opinion that it will be a long time before the dream of Empire trade unity pictured by British statesmen is realised. Only by building and maintaining reciprocal trade within the Empire would the British commonwealth of nations b3 unified. He sails in the Aorangi on Wednesday and is due at Auckland on September 10.