THE PRESS CONFERENCE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVI, Issue LVI, 11 June 1909, Page 5

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

SPEECH BY MR BALFOUR.

KWHERE NEW ZEALAND'S FATE

WILL BE DECIDED.

MR BALFOUR'S VIEWS.

/ tJPKESS ASSUCIA'rioK.J LONDON, June 10. Mr Balfour (Leader of tba Oppositi >n) speaking at the Imperial Press Conference!, said the fate of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and India, would not be decided in the Pacific or the Indian Ocean, but in the noi-them ■ hectnisphem "Everybody,'' he continued, ''who reads the signs of the tames agrees with Lvrd Rosebeay's and Sir Edward Grey's weighty words, and must recognise the imposaibilaty of looking on the subject of Imperial defence without ' anxiety, though not panic."

JMADA/S READINESS TO HELP THE EMPIRE.

Mr Brisa-ley (Montreal) said that if danger threatened the Empire, Canada was prepared to spend the last cent andi give the last drop of blood to prevent a catastrophe. The results of the Conference) would not be found in the minute-books, but in the increased interest in Imperial matters. COLONIES ,URGED TO ORGANISE t THEIR FORCES. Mr R. Haldana (Minister for War) agreed with eivery word uttered by Mr Bt|'.four. Ha urged the colonies to organise their forcesi in the interest of thedn own necessities, but also to remember: the possible need of co-opera-tion with, thei Empire. Like Mr Balfour he felt the burden of the. present time. Difficulties were arising, which •were not accidental, but because' other nations were becoming more wealthy aad powerful; but still he bd'jeved the Empire's rate of progress was

greater than that of any otter race.'

ZEALAND'S DREADNOUGHT V OFFER. > v Mr Geo. Fenwick (Dunedin) said the speeches of the Ministers and exMinisters made thei Conference his- • toric Thei editors had received much inspiration on many points. The spontaneous- offer of New Zealand's Dreadnought should not be measured by its coat; it was a demonstration of thei patriotic feeling which would help forward all the "Empire. He declaimed disapproving of the action of Canada and Australia over thedr decision to provide for tiieir .own defence, but-

all must recognise, he said, how inadequate local provision - must be. The safety of the overseas Dominions lay in the maintenance of a great Imperial navy. Therefore he urged the Press to support it.