DEFENCE CONFERENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13975, 9 August 1909, Page 5

DEFENCE CONFERENCE.

.DELEGATES ENTERTAINED. SPEI'X'H BY SIR JOSEPH WARD.' Press Association-By Telegrapb-Copyighi Received 5.5 p.m., August Bth. LONDON, August 7. Tln> Imperial Co-operation League luneheonod the Defence delegates. The guests included Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, Lord Hampden, KeaivAdniiral Ottley, -Sir Sanford Fleming, Dr. Eitchett, Admiral Frcemantle, Messrs Cathcart Wason, P. Kennedy, and Arthur .Myers (Auckland). Lord Onslow, presiding, remarked that the present Conference was a great milestone on the road to Federation. New Zealand's spontaneous Dread noughts had given a splendid impulse to the maintenance of continuity of Imperial Conferences. Lord Onslow emphasised New Zealand placing Imperial defence in the forefront of aspiration, and concluded by hoping that Sir Joseph "Ward would continue to give a lead to the Empire, in-order that we might he united in one common defence.

Sir Joseph "Ward, in responding, said he understood the main purpose of the League to he to help „thc people to think Imperially. (Cheers.) Intelligent thought easily passed into action, and as soon as the hulk of us think and act together on great Imt.ions and interests, co-ordination ad the safety of the Empire were hound to he assured. (Cheers.) In an Empire so vast and so diverse in conditions and interests, cordination and consolidation were a problem to tax the wisest heads. Take defence, which' was the foundation whereon the whole Imperial superstructure must rest. It was stated on the one hand that there was need of one absolutely unfettered centre of control to unable the. whok> of the forces of the Empire to be directed to one point- in case of necessity. Jt was stated on the other hand, that the oversea Dominions would not bo justified in leaving themselves locally helpless, and that they would do best by relieving the Motherland of all or much of the burden of local defence, each Dominion controlling its own unit. To reconcile these two apparently conflicting views was worthy of every effort that was being made by statesmen in all parts of the Empire. He could not be expected to express an opinion or enter into details concerning the problem of reconciling them while the Naval Con ference was sitting. He could, however, say that all present new animated by an earnest desire to help forward the great work. Defence, though undoubtedly the greatest, was not the only Imperial matter wherein the interests of the Motherland and the oversea Dominions were not identical. One instance was shipping, regarding which he remarked that the existence of conflicting interests had been recognised, and an earnest effort was being made to remove or reconcile them bv the Conference.

He believed in Conferences. A day's honest and earnest talk round a table often accomplished more than a year's memorandum printing. Isolated intermittent* conforencos, bowevcr. .were make-shifts at best. In his judgment some scheme of continuity must be devised, or must evolve.'

Personally, lie had unlimited faith i:i the capacity of that remarkable figment called the British Constitution, which was not one incomprehensible but niiiny incomprehensibles, born nobody precisely knows when or Low, and consisting, no man precisely knows . <;f what.

Referring to the League's work. Sir Joseph said 1 they should send representatives to New Zealand, where they would be heartily welcomed. New Zcalauders would do their utmost to make them feel that they were in a British country, and they would be made at home as much as here.

Sir Joseph said he did not believe there was any decadence in England. The visitors who saw Portsmouth and those— splendid lines of battleships, with .30,000 seamen ready to strike for King and country, recognised that at heart '.lie nation was true, and had but one desire, to elevate Old England to a still higher plane. lie Jiad been unable to ascertain the cause that suggested the .expression "decadence" in the minds of some portions of the c.ommiinitv.

Sir Joseph proceeded to dwell upon (.he value of the new and improved cable communication; in the direction of cheapness without doing injury to the owners of "private cables, as it would bring into close touch the people of all parts of the Empire.

Sir Joseph. continuing, said th:League bad a great cause to work for, and lie would gladly do anything in his power to help those engaged in what he regarded as a great Empire movement. (Cheers.) He appreciated Lord Onslow's kindly allusion to New Zealand's offer of a Dreadnought, and claimed no credit for doing what'he considered his duty.' Apart from the intrinsic worth of a Dreadnought, the moral effect was incomparably greater. It was by cooperation in this and other directionsthat they could do so much to, figuratively, indeed literally, bring the oversea Dominions closer into re.al touch with the Motherland, lie had great faith in the capacity <>f (he British Constitution to ndapl ilsel!" to changes which must, come if the nation is to abide as one great whole, instead of .splitting off into fragments. "In Lhat day the oversea Dominions will not be dependencies, tlicy be your coheirs'in'a. mighty Empire, having with you. behind the burden of defence, the privilege and responsibility of Government.'' (Cheers.')