MINISTERS' RETURN FROM ENGLAND.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14891, 14 October 1918, Page 6

MINISTERS' RETURN FROM ENGLAND.

mi MASSE? AND.SIB, JOSEPH ' WARD.

THiE PREMIER INTERVIEWED

[United Press Association.]

_'•■•'- Auckland, Oct. 12. :Mr Massey and. Sir Joseph Ward arrived by the Niagara from /Vancouver to-day ■ after ■ .their visit to London on Imperial business. They are both well. Mr Massey, interviewed, said that if there was "any difficulty with regard to pie retention of South Pacific islands taken from Germany, it would arise at the peace conference, but Australia and .New ZenLajnd would be■'.able to show good caHßG\fcr. the retention of the : islands. . ; Be deprecated a,ny suggestion tfcut _ New Zealand should slacken its Avar eiibr^ because America was now engaged in. *the conflict. He had endeaveased, and he'thought not nnsuccessfrty, to secure a sufficient supply of ships, but he could not guarantee that the supply would be equal to that of last year. The British Ministry.of Shipping would do its best, and understood the importance of ships for the New Zealand trade. While having confidence in the Shipping Ministry, he was not satisfied with the other-departments m Britain that were Handling our products, and it might bo necessary to set up a special,committee to go into the whole ■ question.