SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3888, 18 September 1928, Page 7

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

RETURN TO THE DOMINION. NOT ASSOCIATED WITH UNITED PARTY. AUCKLAND, September 10. “ I am not a member of the United Political Party, and I received no communication from 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 leader of the party.” This statement was made by Sir Joseph Ward, who rei.irned 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 1 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 for 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 message from a personal friend in New Zealand advising me that the United Party was meeting in New Zealand on September 15, and at that meeting it was 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,” Sir Joseph continued, “ it is quite obvious that a throng impression has been conveyed by the interviewers, and this has been cabled to New Zealand. I was asked by the press whether I would make a statement on New Zealand politics, and I replied that I was too far away from the country, and I declined to discuss the position in any vay. I said I had been in Loudon for some months on business, and had been very fully occupied, and I had not attempted to communicate by cable or in any other way to keep abreast with the New Zealand poli tical situation. I have not been in communication with the leaders of any party since I have been absent, and have not attempted to influence the course of events in any way.”

The statement was attributed to Sir Joseph Ward that 50 candidates of the United Party had cabled to him asking him to accept the leadership of the party.