EMPIRE DEFENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 July 1939, Page 6

EMPIRE DEFENCE

NEW ZEALAND POLICY STATEMENT BY MR NASH. RESPONSIBILITY ACCEPTED. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. (Received This Day, 1.20 p.m.) LONDON, July 5. The New Zealand Finance Minister (Mr W. Nash) denies the alleged statement cabled yesterday that New Zealand was unlikely to send an expeditionary force, in the event of Britain becoming involved in war. “What I said,” Mr Nash stated, “was that it was unlikely that New Zealand would enter into any commitment to send an expeditionary force overseas, but what was necessary for her to defend her democratic ideals would be undertaken. The Government will not undertake any commitments, but will wait until the time shows what it ought to do. We have accepted the responsibility of defending New Zealand as a unit of the Empire, and defending Empire interests in the South Pacific. A cablegram from London yesterday read: —“New Zealand is unlikely to send an expeditionary force overseas in the event of Britain being involved in war, although it would certainly defend its democratic ideals, said the New Zealand Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, speaking at a dinner at Dublin Castle tendered by the Prime Minister, Mr de Valera. Mr Nash added that New Zealand was very jealous of its sovereignty, but it was keener on the idea of the Commonwealth of Nations than on the idea of Empire.