ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 22, 20 July 1911, Page 3

ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT.

M.P.'s AND THE CORONATION. STATEMENT BY SIR JOSEPH WARJ). London, June 9. Sir Joseph Ward characterises as absolutely incorrect the statement published in New Zealand to the effect'that he received a long time before he made it public the invitation to the New Zealand Parliament to send representatives to the Coronation.

"No invitation," the Prime Minister said to a New Zealand Times' representative this morning, "was received until the day before I gave it out in New Zealand. I telegraphed to the members of the House as soon as ever I was able after receiving the invitation. The reply received from all was that it was too late.

"As a matter of fact, the communi-1 cations I received from the British Home Office referring to the possibility of invitations being sent, were marked 'strictly confidential.' I specially requested permission, through the Governor, to make a statement to the House on the lines indicated in the messages, but this was declined, as the Home Government was not then in a position to state whether the invitation would be sent later.

"No invitations of any sort or any kind were received by me until the one I communicated to the members of Parliament. Had I received an invitation from the Home Office or anyone else before Parliament rose, I would have made a statement to the House about it.

"I should like to have seen representatives of both branches of the Legislature here, and if the invitation had been received in time I have no doubt that the number suggested—eight in all—would have responded to the invitation, and visited England. "I simply make this statement again now because I have been advised from New Zealand that there is an impression I received the invitation long before giving it out. That is absolutely contrary to fact."