SIR J. WARD'S CLAIM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15610, 15 May 1914, Page 9

SIR J. WARD'S CLAIM.

PROPOSED FEDERAL SCHEME

VALUE IN IRISH CRISIS.

A REPLY TO CRITICS.

[BT telegraph.—hrkss association.]

Mahtok, Thursday. THE Leader of the Opposition, Sir Joseph Ward, was accorded a cordial reception to-night. Tho Town Hall was packed by about 800 people. Sir Joseph made some telling points,' especially in regard to naval defence and tho Dreadnought. Dealing with the former, ho said the attempt to make capital out of tho fact that his resolution concerning the setting up of an Imperial Conference in 1911 could only bo regarded as something of no consequence, he quoted from the report of the conference to show that ho had made it quite clear that the proposals could not bo hurriedly given effect to. Ho told tho Imperial Conference that his scheme presupposed in the United Kingdom a complete system of local autonomy for national divisions of the Kingdom, including England, Scotland, Ireland, and Vviues, each having its own Parliament. What had happened since then? Recent cables showed that. 2CO members of the House ot Commons, Unionists and Liberals, had banded together for the purpose of establishing a federal system for the United Kingdom. It was quite apparent that the basis of settlement of the Irish troubles was to be on federal lines such as he had indicated. Two Ministers, in their recent speeches, had mentioned the work done by him at the Imperial Conference with a view to assisting their local navy scheme, but what he (Sir Joseph) had stated wou,d at least show that ho was not very far out, when, before a gathering of men representing the Empire, he had advocated an Empire Parliament and a Parliament for each of tho national divisions' of the British Isles. Such a scheme, it seemed, from present indications, was to save the Homeland from a horrible civil war.