PEACE CONFERENCE REPRESENTATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 February 1919, Page 5

PEACE CONFERENCE REPRESENTATION.

NEW ZEALAND'S CI.ATMS. AN ATTEMPTED JUSTIFICATION, By Telegraph.—Press AsaoeiatiiCk. Wellington, Last Night.

There is apparently sin impression in Nov/ Zealand that Hie Ministers attempted to lecture the British Government on the allotment by the Council of the Great Powers of one New Zealand representative at the Peace Conference. Nothing of the sort was done or attempt - ed. When the Ministers le.irntil ori their arrival at Paris that for the first time, and on debatable grounds, South Africa had been given precedence over Now Zealand, itnd the latter placed in a worse position than the eountry which has done little, if anything, for the Allies' cause,. Mr. Massey consulted Mr. Llovd George with the result that after the matter had been quietly discussed at the British delegation meeting, at which New Zealand's position wns strongly supported, because of her splendid service 111 the war, it was arranged that Sir Joseph Ward be forthwith included in the British delegation. The meeting was private, and thus Mr Mnssoy was unable to publish the- details of the full notice of tfte British and-other uvi-rscas delegates" appreciation of New Zen land's war effort, nad their support of the claim for equality of representation with countries with a less substantial war record. The arrangement made is generally accepted us dii ncknowieJgmeiit of the reasonableness of New Zealand's claim.—Aua, aiid N.Z. Cable Association.