A WRONG IMPRESSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 214, 10 September 1928, Page 5

A WRONG IMPRESSION.

UNITED PARTY LEADERSHIP.

NO INVITATION EXTENDED.

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S POSITION.

"I am not a member of the United Political party, and I received no communication fram the party or any of its officials to become their leader, and I made no statement in Canada or elsewhere that I had been invited to be the leader of the party." This statement was made by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, K.C.M.G., P.C., who returned from a business visit to the Old Country by the Aorangi yesterday.

"At the moment," said Sir Joseph. "I cannot say anything regarding New Zealand politics generally, and I do not expect to be able to do so for a few days, in fact until I return to Wellington and ascertain the trend of events since I have been absent." He had seen no invitation to be present at the coming conference of candidates in Wellington to be held next Friday, when a leader was to be selected.

When handed the published interviews alleged to have been given by him in Winnipeg and Vancouver Sir Joseph said he had not seen the Canadian papers containing the reports referred to. What happened was that when his train stopped at Winnipeg tor a quarter of an hour, a reporter approached him. and said he had heard that he (Sir Joseph) was likely to stand again as leader of a party in New Zealand. "My reply," said Sir Joseph, "was that I had received a private cable from a personal friend in New Zealand advising me that the United party were meeting in New Zealand on September 5, and at that meeting they were going to select a leader. I had had no communication from any of the leaders of the party asking me to be the leader, and I never informed the Press representative that I had. I was careful to state that the private message was all the information I had on the subject. Although I have not seen the published interviews," he continued, "it is quite obvious that a wrong impression has been conveyed by the interviewers, and this has been cabled through to ZeaHnd. I was asked bv the Press whether I would make a statement on >ew Zealand politics, and I replied that I was too far away from the countrv, and I declined to discuss the position in any way. I said that I had been in London for some months on business and had been very fully occupied, and tnat_ I had not attempted to communicate by cable or in any other wav keen abreast with the New Zealand political situation. I have not been m communication with the leaders of T. Partjr f inCC 1 hare been absent, and have not attempted to influence the course of events in anv wav."