THE DREADNOUGHT OFFER

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 530, 10 June 1909, Page 6

THE DREADNOUGHT OFFER

TESTIMONIAL TO THE PRIME MINISTER. WHY THE GIFT WAS MADE. A costly illuminated album was proson ted to ..tho Prime Minister, (Sir Joseph Ward) hist evening on behalf of tbose citizens who endorso the . action of his Ministry in making lie offer of a Dreadnought to the British' Navy. Tho accommodation in tho House of Representatives, where tho' 1 function took placo, was fully occupied, about 180 being present. Among thoso present were Lady Ward and Miss Ward, tho Minis tcirs of the Crown, and members of both branches of tho Legislature. REMARKS BY MR. D. J. NATHAN. On behalf of tho committee which had promoted the testimonial, Mr. D. J. Nathan said that the album (which contained some 5000 signatures) was being presents to the' Prime Minister as a memento of tho occasion of tho Government's celebrated cable to Great Britain. It was felt that snch an occasion should not pass unnoticed, nor allowed to bo forgotten in tho future. The committee, in, presenting the testimonial, desired him to say that tuey were pleased that; Parliament would agroo that it was desirable the Pnmo Minister should be present at tho conference to be held next month in London. _ In making tho offer it was quite recognised that the Ministry, took their political life in their own hands, and he thought there was no doubt that Parliament would eventually give the offer substantial form. Sir Joseph Ward must have been gratified 'to find how universally the suggestion of participating in the defence of tho Empiro had been favoured by every class of tho Dominion. At boatings of all descriptions—of citizens, farmers, merchants, traders, and workers— resolutions had been carried approving of tho Government's action. It must have boon fully recognised, Mr. Nathan continued, when those resolutions were passed, that an offer such as the one in question could not be mado and carried out without material cost' to tho taxpayer. The carrying out of the resolution, if it meant anything, meant that the peoplo wero prepared for this cost. It meant that the resolution was carried in no spirit of "Jingoism," but in the spirit of true patriotism. Patriotism meant personal sacrifice, not only for tho present but for the future.' It must bo founded on great principles', and supported by grpat virtues. It involved duties as well-as privileges. It'was in external affairs and relations that it had its greatest-opportunities and dangers. It was .self-evident that the primary object of every country was to defend'its freedom and independence, and make necessary provisions for so doing, and it must go even further than this by taking stops to safeguard its honour. That was one of the fundamental ideas of . patriotism, and rfc was what the Government, had already done and now proposed to Mow up. Mr. Nathan then quoted President Roosevelt's words of warning to the Americans.

tho course of further remarks, Mr. Nataan said: "Sir Joseph oould also assure them m the Old Land that tie flag that was handed to our fathers has been kopt flying clean and unsullied,; and thai the torch of liberty, truth, a-nd justice,. handed to them to bo transplanted to these shores, has been eirofully tended, and is full of burning brightly." . (Loud applause.) : . > THE'ADDRESS. • The Chairman, Mr, Jas. Djkos, 'in the course of a briof speech, stated that as secretary to ttie movement he could nfsiire' t.V.;-' Pnnie Minister that his action had been approved by all classes. It gave him great pleasure on bohalf of the citizens to ask Sir Joseph to accept a memento of such an important event. (Continued applause.) In© address was worded as under i . thel undersigned oitizens of Wei-' lington, ■ New ZcaJand, d<ssiro to tako this opportunity to convey' 'to you our appreciationof the assistanco offered by yourself and members of your Ministry on behalf of •' the people of Now Zealand to his Bri- ' tannic Majesty's Government, 5 during the naval crisis in March, 1909, by the gift ' of a first-class battleship, and of a sec- ' ond battleship if it should be found necessary. We do so because we think • that the time, has come when the daughter ■ States of tho Empire should take their port to a greater extent" than heretofore in ttio general advance and maintenance of his Majesty's Dominions, and we aro. glad to seo that. New. Zea- , land has been among "the first to recognise this obligation. , PRIME MINISTER IN REPLY. The Prime Minister expressed his warmest thanks for the very high compliment paid to his colleagues and himself in the testimonial. Ho .dwelt;on tho patriotic objoct. of the Government's offer, which would show that prospective enemies.,of Great Britain would have to oount upon all'parts of the British • Empire among , their foes. There were doubtless somo people,who did not consider the situation <jf tho .oldor countries, but he had rcccived from a New Zealandor now in tho Old Country, who could speak impartially and had no motive'for exaggeration, a letter, which showed the gravity of tho position. Ho . would not . < repeat the expressions of this letter, because lie had all along avoided saying. anything tfhioh might seom to have an alarmist tone. All sensible pooplo must realise that there was some cause for the tremendous shipbuilding programme at tho present time. How to Prevent War. The only way to prevent war, in the Prime Minister's opiniou, so far as Great Britain was concerned, was to lot those who desired to trj* conclusions know that no power on earth would stop tho British Empire having a navy that was recognised to bo unconquerable. _ (Applause.) '.'Wo in New Zealand recognise, the l'rimo Minister went on, 'Hihat wo must tako our Share in the responsibilities of tho Empire as an important part of it. What was all right for New Zealand tea or oven five years , ago is not all right now. Wo are as dependont on tho strength and the supremacy of the British Navy as w« aro for our existence every day on (having a supply of fresh air and good water for our citizens in this country. Ho was not •going to deal with tho debatable subject of how the nation.shquld bo defended, but ho (juoted the late Sir John Colomb as to tho inadequacy of submarines around a coast. In this country if wo were stupid enough to embark on somo of tho idle theories of somo people who professed almost a prescience on such matters, if we wore merely to provide a' system of submarines without the support of battleships, we might as well make up our minds that wo wero not in a position for defonoe at all. The alternative to what had been done in Now Zealand was to provide a local navy, and how many people realised what that meant? Our first duty as a community was to keep open tho ■ highways of the sea for tho produce of this country to be carried to the places where it would command money in exchange, on which the industries of the country depended, and to att'ompt to do that with submarines at Auckland, Wellington t Lyttelton, and Dunedin would bo reoognised as the veriest nonsense. Was anybody so foolish as to believe that foreign Powers were going to send their navies 12,000 miles to New Zealand to wrest tho supremacy of tho soa from Great Britain? Tho suggestion was too idiotic for words. Tho conflict would do waged in tho North Sea or in some other place thousands of miles from New- Zealand. i

But onco the decision- had- boon given, if, unhappily, it should bo against us, tho effect of itwould bo immediately brought into tho interior of . our own country, and it was because ,of tho stupendous responsibilities dependent'on the Government of the day-that it had taken the action which had been taken. " (Applauso.) Sir Joseph's Position,

"At informal meetings," said tho Prime Minister, "members of Parliament hare decided that I shall represent Nov; Zealand at the Defenco ; Conference; which will, I feel sure, hereafter be regarded as 0110 of tho greatest epoch-making gatherings tho Empire has ever known. If I'go to London, I shall bo the representative, not of one class, but of every section of the .community. There

ought to bo no attempt to embarrass roa in connection with my pari at t)io confer* once. It can not bo forgotten that the mastery of the situation ia held .by Parchment; whatever I agree to in the OIJ Land' wfll haw to bo confirmed by the Parliament',' of New_ Zealand. All that sentimental talk , about the country being committed without the people having a voico in it i» pure nonsense. Of course, it » j «tia r withm • the power of tho rcprcsenrtati*es of ' , ?°?P!? to sa y whether I Bhall go'or not. bnt r believe that I shall he Bont, and Bhafl not be embarrassed. I feel that the confer-" once mtvy bo . tho moans of preserving tie Peace 'of the world. It may also be the means of bringing info existence a scheme— now broken to pieces because it has. never boon concreted—for tho common defonoe of tho interests of the Empiro, and which will - prevent those difficulties which arosp from tho want of a central authority. If the conference only succeeds in establishing tho V foundations of tho structure which ia necessary it will do a. good work not only for tho present generation, but also for tho generations that are to come: Nothing will givo mo greater pleasure than to forward to tbo ' people of tho Old Land tho message which ' , tho citizens, through tho • committee, havo asked mo to convoy. lam n<rt going to London with any idea of parading or of self- . glorification, but with a full sense of tile re- ' sponsibility which is imposed on. me. Allow mo once again to return my heartfelt thanks to thn_ committee and to the citizens for tie splendid testimonial which they have pro-" - sented to me." (Loud applause.)' , Tho. proceedings terminated with cheers for Sir Joseph and Lady Ward.