The Premier Congratulated

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12726, 23 March 1909, Page 5

The Premier Congratulated

(Per United Press Association). WELLINGTON, March 22. Sir Joseph Ward told a "New Zealand Times" reporter to-night that he is receiving numbers of congratulatory telegrams of a strongly patriotic nature, and he feels certain that the Government's offer will be endorsed by everybody who gave the position serious thought. People on both sides of politics have telegraphed appreciation and endorsement. He fully recognises the responsibility, but at a juncture of this kind delay would be out of the question. "If we wanted to be of service to the Old Land the only thing wa6 to act at once, and show the outside world that Germany's extraordinary building programme provided a situation which , justified New Zealand in showing thai the Old Country can rely upon the assistance of the people in her outlying dependencies. The actual interest we would pay i for the undertaking- of this kind would amount to only Is 3d per head, and the 1 most dispassionate critic would recognise ! that this was a very small thing to pay for the value received in the shape of protection apart altogether from the loyal desire of the residents of New Zealand to I maintain the power of their own Empire."