NEW ZEALAND ENVOY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 10, 30 September 1942, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND ENVOY

MR LANGSTONE IN CANADA AN INTERVIEWER'S IMPRESSIONS An odd jobs man turned diplomat and completely al home in his new responsibility is Hon. Frank Langstone, the first New Zealand High Commissioner to Canada. He brought with him to Ottawa bubbling good humour, a neatlvworded abomination of the Axis leaders a severe burn on a muscular hand, and immense affection for Canadians and all their wor ! ks, nnd an utter disregard for the use of the letter "h." In Frank Langstone's mind is a clear picture of the world and democracies are fighting for. He is. a Labour man—and is amiably disposed towards the rich. He likes the idea of the bro.lherliood of man— and hates Hitler and Hirohito. lie was part of a Government that hoped for pea:*e —and prepared Inr war. When*he reaclie 1 Ottawa early in l\lay. "interviewers met him at the. train and invited his comment on a naval battle then raging in the Coral Sea. .The smiling Mr Langstone ceased smiling. "The only good place for Axis ships is the bottom of the sea, and the rooncr avc put them there tin 4 better," he said grimly. "We fried, lo think of everything..'' he said. "For instance, Ave have widow:;' pen si 0:1s and allowances fo" children whose fa'her has died. I'u: if seemed to ir. that a widow who ;::ss seen her children grow up and go. away nboitl their own business deserves something from lh'>. S'.ale. We recognise that she has not had the same opportunities to earn a living for herself and get a few savings ii'i the hank, as a simvc woman. So we make an al'/>wanee thai is payable Lo a widow who is lei'! alone so she may have se.-.'uriiy ana something to spend on herself when her children have gone away." Mr Langstone likes to explain that -in New Zealand "people don't worry about falling into the gutter, because there is no gutter; tlu: Slate looks afier the people." Frank Langstone is no babe in

the intornational woods. He has attended conferences in many parts of the world as the spokesman for his Dominion. His latest j<>b was to lead a Xew Zealand mission to the. United States to obtain sorely-need-ed supplies for his country as: the waves of war came nearer. "We have conscription, not because we need it, goodness knows. but just bccnu.se it seemed the fairest tiling to do. And nobody even tal'ked. about it very ino.ii, We just feel we're in this war to the limit and everyone thinks the same." In his carl}' - (>o's, Frank Langstone looks younger. When the Avar started his five boys joined the lighting forces and one of them was reported missing in the tumultuous fighting in Greece and has not been heard of since. Mr Langstone hopes that Mrs Langstone will join him in Canada. "You know, tliis war is teaching the democracies something they should have learned long ago," he says. "It is teaching us to stick together in peace as well as in war. And the more we sti'ek together, the better it will be for the world. "And when you sec me in the street be sure to stop and say 'Hello! - "