PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.8
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18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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Fourteenth Day.
9 May 1907.
EXTENSION OF BRITISH INTERESTS IN THE PACIFIC.
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Sir JOSEPH WARD: Lord Elgin, Mr. Deakin has placed the whole position so fully and so ably before the Conference that few words are necessary from me to emphasise on one aspect, and one aspect chiefly, what the New Zealand Government on behalf of its people are anxious to see done in the future.
People outside of our country can hardly realise the feeling of anxiety which at times is experienced in consequence of the changes that have taken place in recent years in connection with some of the islands in the Pacific. We look upon it as a matter of the very greatest importance for the future, not only of our country and Australia, but Canada in some respects too, and very material respects indeed, and with the possibility, in fact the certainty, of a channel of communication by the opening of the Panama Canal within the next 5 years or 10 years as the case may be, adds to the difficulty of the position, aggravates it very much indeed from the point of view that we regard it. We are more anxious than ever that His Majesty's Government of the day, each successive Government, should look after British interests in the Pacific with a very much keener eye than unfortunately for many years has been the case.
Now, there is not inuch to be gained by going into the pros and cons of the loss of some of the islands in the Pacific that have passed over to the control of other nations, nor from the point of view from which I am placing it in my remarks on behalf of New Zealand before the Conference, is there anything to be gained by referring to what has transpired in connection with the New Hebridles Convention. I do not propose to do that, even had I intended to do it; it has already been so thoroughly done by Mr. Deakin. But we are in this position, and we recognise it clearly, that there is a great powerful country growing up, which New Zealand is under the very shadow of, and which does not fly the British flag. That country has Another already obtained an enormous advantage in the Pacific Islands. great and powerful country has obtained one of the finest possessions possible in the Pacific Islands, they have got one of the finest harbours, in fact the best harbour available in the Samoan islands, and that could be utilised by The Government then in many ways in the future if necessity arose for it.
of New Zealand protested strongly against the condition of affairs that arose there at the time without avail, but that has passed and gone. What wo are concerned about is that the Imperial Government should recognise, and I am sure they will, that having regard to the geographical position of any future Australia and New Zealand in any future Conventions or proposals for any alterations in connection with these islands in the Pacific, the responsible men out there who are anxious to help the British Government and to conserve the British interests in that part of the world should at least
taken. have the opportunity of being consulted before any decided action
We recognise-I am perfectly certain Mr. Deakin does and we all do -that the Imperial Government would be actuated by the very best intentions in whatever it does, but there are special conditions and circumstances that the men on the spot, who are in touch with public opinion, of necessity must have a greater knowledge of than the men who are in London, however anxious they are to do what they conceive to be best in the interests of the Empire as a whole. New Zealand, as the Conference knows, a few years ago in order to extend its control to some extent and prevent the possibility of some of the islands in the Pacific passing away to another flag, extended its borders, and it includes now a number of Pacific islands in its administration. I am quite free to say that if one looks back to the time when the possibility of the British flag being planted on a number of these islands was never even dreamt of, the feelings in the minds of some people in the Old Country were very different indeed from what they are now, and it was not altogether to be wondered at,
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Fourteenth Day.
9 May 1907.
EXTENSION OF BRITISH INTERESTS IN THE PACIFIC.
because they could not see what an extension of Empire was possible in the Southern Seas. At that time the Colonies were looked upon as almost necessary evils and the idea permeated the minds of some people in the Old Country that it would not be a bad thing if a severance took place between the Colonies and the Mother Country. One can quite understand, looking back through these years, that the possibility of the development and of the future value of these portions of the Empire could not have been (SirJoseph Ward.) foreseen by the men of the day. Looking back now and discussing what might have been and what looks to us as being the right thing to have done at that time is of course one matter, but it is not after all surprising that people did not foresee the steps that ought to have been taken to prevent some of the conditions which have arisen in these Southern Seas, but they should have listened to and have taken the advice of the Colonial statesmen of that time.
With regard to the local troubles which Mr. Deakin has so specially referred to which really concern Australia more than they do New Zealand in that respect, the outside public knows nothing of them, although one would be naturally anxious to see them removed and improved in every possible way,
and every effort made to prevent a recurrence of the matters to which he has referred. What we, in New Zealand, do feel is the fact that two great Powers are now under our lee within two and a half days' steaming of New Zealand. Those portions of territory to which I am alluding were British, and British only, with the British flag upon them but a few short years ago. That alterations have taken place now and although we may, and I hope will be, on friendly terms with these Powers for many years to come, for all time indeed, yet there is an element of danger and a cause for soreness and a continuous sense of disturbance in the minds of the British people out there, who feel that owing to certain circumstances these great growing countries right under the lee of these islands may be subjected to serious troubles in the future.
to come.
Now briefly, but very earnestly, I have submitted the sentiments of the people of our country in the hope that this matter of the future control of the Pacific, which will grow in importance, year in and year out, may not be lost sight of. The highway to Australia for many has been through the Suez Canal and round the Cape, but we have the development of Canada coming on with the certainty that there will be fast traffic across the Pacific between that great Dominion and Australia, and New Zealand in the years We have also the opening of the Panama Canal looming up, which will change to a very large extent a large portion of the trade between England and Continental countries and Australia, and New Zealand, and the Pacific will become one of the most important seas that the British Empire will have to carry her huge traffic over. I merely wish to say on the resolution which has been proposed by Mr. Deakin for the Commonwealth of Australia, that it has my warmest support, and I feel perfectly sure that what is contained in that resolution will also commend itself to a gentleman of such large experience as Lord Elgin, who attends on behalf of the British Government at this Conference.
Dr. JAMESON: This is a matter quite outside of our ken, and in any case everything has already been said by Mr. Deakin and Sir Joseph.
CHAIRMAN: I would like to say at once that there is no doubt on the part of Ilis Majesty's Government of the importance of the Pacific, and of the importance of carefully studying the position of the rival nations, perhaps not rival nations, but different nations who have interests there, and I entirely agree with Mr. Deakin, that the aim must be that as between the United Kingdom and the Dominions beyond the Seas there should be no difference whatever with regard to the interests we feel in them. I did not know the
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