The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1915. REASONS WANTED.

Wanganui Herald, Volume L, Issue 14774, 30 November 1915, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1915. REASONS WANTED.

The views expressed by the "Herald” on several occasions during the past two months concerning the proposed trip to England by Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward find an echo in the Lyttelton Times and Wellington Post. Writing on October 9th the “Herald" said:

The Premier Hinted in Parliament on Tuesday afternoon that there was a probability of Sir Joseph Ward and himself going Home to attend an Imperial Conference before the war is over. Candidly, we hope they will do nothing of the sort. The time is quite inopportune to discuss big imperial questions. British statesmen should find their time better occupied in attending to the more pressing needs caused by the war, without wasting it in talking about abstruse problems. No Government at the present time, certainly not our own, has any administrative talent to spare, for the demands made by the war far exceed tue supply of statesmanship. Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward are urgently required to devote their energy and powers to solving problems that have arisen and will arise in New Zealand, and it would be a most serious blunder for them to attend an Imperial Conference just now. in the present state of great anxiety and unrest, when every ounce of effort in every part of the Empire should be solely eoucentrated on pushing the war to a successful issue and providing for contingencies which will arise from time to time. No Conference could possibly do justice at such a time to subjects that would be introduced.

The statement is made in the Post that the Prime Minister lias received many letters from both political friends and political foes urging him not to leave New Zealand at present, and Mr Massey’s correspondents, whc.se. good intentions there is no cause to doubt, have, says the Lyttelton Times in one of last week’s issues, expressed a. thought that has occurred to many minds throughout the Dominion. Onr Christchurch contemporary suggests that if the Prime Minister can see his way to do so, it might be as well to clear up the mystery that is current l in the public mind concerning the visit to London which it is understood that ho and Sir Joseph Ward contemplate making. The Times cannot remember any occasion upon which the reasons for the trip were stated or even indicated. There has, in fact, been nothing deffnitctdisclo.sed on the subject, and the date of departure appears to ho quite a matter of uncertainty. It was, however, admitted the other (lay that passages had been “pencilled’’ on a steamer leaving New Zealand next month, and many references to the subject of a circumstantial character appear to leave no Reason -for doubting the Dominion’s two principal Ministers do contemplate . jpjirgeying to London together very shortly. The Times says it is entitled to doubt whether there exist good reasons for this visit that cannot be made public. If Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward can do any service to the Empire by voyaging to headquarters at the present crisis, few people in New Zealand, it is certain, would say a word against their departure. But unless it has read the signs mistakenly, it believes the political stage is already a little overcrowded at Home, even the War Cabinet having been practically reduced to five members only the other day. When it was announced by cable from Melbourne a week or two a<*o that the Commonwealth Defence Minister was about to proceed to London, an answering message from the Mother Country seemed to say that the Imperial Government had no particular business to discuss. that called fur Mr Hughes to inconvenience himself, although it was naturally added that if that gentleman did go to London the British Ministers would lie very pleased to treat him with cordial hospitality and confidence. The one groat question of moment is the conduct of the war towards a satisfactory issue, concerning which the Home Government is already embarrassed with gratuitous advice. The Lyttelton Times proceeds;

Mo are not suggesting that it is at all likely that any Now Zealand Ministers would go to London for the purpose of giving counsel to the British Cabinet or attempting anything of the sort: but so far as we are aware, no conference ot Home and oversea statesmen has been proposed, and it ap|>ears most likely that anything of the kind at the present time would be very inconvenient to Mr Asquith and liis colleagues. There is certainly a lot of public curiosity just now as to what matters of State can lie requiring the two most prominent and most responsible members of the Cabinet, the Governor’s chief .advisers, to leave the Dominion for several months. Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward have responsibilities that cannot very well be transferred. Each is the leader of a large political Party and while those parties are united now in a patriotic compact, the endurance of that compact is safeguarded by the presence, as well as the smiso and tact, of the party leaders. But, as we say, if it can be shown—or if a frank assurance can be given without divulging details which may be confidential that Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward have been asked hv the British Govcmifnent to visit London, then dm public will be satisfied, and the politicians mnv bn depended ripen to give the rod of the Cabinet loyal support in the alls''"--. c f the l-adco. Wc feel stronglv that on’- substantial reasons can instifv th" Reform and l iberal heads of the National Government, in going away from New gon’-n-l at - Gave '"hen very first-class

nnestions affecting the war are agitating the public!’’and the political mind,