SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue 150, 10 September 1928, Page 3

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

UNITED PARTY LEADERSHIP. A MANGLED INTERVIEW. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, This day. Sir Joseph Ward returned by the Aorangi yesterday. In reply to questions lie said he had had no communication with the leaders of any political party in New Zealand since he left six months ago. He. was not a member of the United Party and had not been asked to accept its leadership. He did not expect to be able to say anything definite about polities for several days. He had made no statement in Canada or elsewhere to the effect that, he had received an invitation from the United Party or its officials to become its leader at a meeting on September 15th, and the same applied to the alleged interview at Vancouver when passing through Winnipeg by train to join the Aorangi. He was replying to a question by a reporter who had beard he was likely to stand again as leader of a political party. He said he had received a cable from a persi nal friend in New Zealand advising him that the United Party was meeting in Wellington on September 15th to elect a leader. He (Sir Joseph) informed the reporter that this was all he knew about the position. The report cabled to New Zealand had evidently created a wrong impression.