MOSCOW LEGATION—ANY BENEFIT

Chronicle (Levin), 13 September 1946, Page 8

MOSCOW LEGATION—ANY BENEFIT

-Press Association •

NOTHING TO B® GAINED-SAYS OPPOSITION ,

By Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, Bept, 12, Mr. F. W. Doidge (Tauranga) speaking in the House to the Department of Fxternal Affairs vote, said the country was spending an immense amount ot money on legations and Ministers over^ seas and this year there was provision for £200,000 more than was spent last year. When a study .was made of tnis particular estimate, there was evevy justification for the claim that New Zealand was altogether too .ambitious, Tlie Opposition had always held that New Zealand had nothing to gain oy pursuing such a course as the establisninent of a legation in Aloscow whicn last year had cost the eountry £26,00o, with provision for £38,000 tlijs yefM'. The staff of the legation had been mcreased and Mr. Doidge asked tlie Prime Minister to say what Mr. Boswell was doiug. Were it not for the bill of costs there was no indication at all tliat Mr. Boswell was alive. Mr. Fraser: He is very niuch alive. Mr. Doidge said tliat Australia hau set u|> a legation in Moscow at aboui the sauic time as New Zealand and when its representiilive returned ke gave the people of Australia a very i rank report of conditions. Surely it was time for JMr. Boswell to give us some information. Xlr. Doidge said that recently a man named Perry, who was formerly a lawyer and union secretary in Wellington, and who was on the staff of tne legation in Moscow, "and is one of Mr. Boswell 7s right-haud men, 77 returned to New Zealand. " Wliy has he not toid us anythingl 7 7 asked Mr. Doidge. " While Mr. Boswell and Mr, Perry reniain inimersed in deep silence, the Ministers of the • Crown remain equally dumb. 77 It seenied that New Zealand had polted its nose into where it had no right to be, continued Mr. Doidge. Russia's wav of life was lier own affair, but all would acknowledge every effort should be made to bring her into line with world peace. Mr. Doidge considered tliat we should not take any action which might embarrass persons in other quarterrs while the international position vvas so delicate and while they were working to make Russia a full partner in the search for peace. Mr. Fraser said it was not possible in Ihe time at his disposal, to reply fully to the criticism of the Opposition, but as the Opposition vvas so interested in Moscow, perhaps it would be a gooa thing to» arrange a Pariiamentary trip there. Mr. Osborne: The Member for Tauranga is going white. There were several exchanges from the back benches after which Mr. Fraser asked would the Opposition want to do away with the High Commissioner 's ofifice in London and did they want New Zealand to withdraw her representation in Canada, Australia and Washington which, in many ways, wa9 the centre of world activities today. it was eorrect to saV that we had to be careful not to do or say things which coLild cause trouble by being distorted. rhe establishment of the legation in Moscow was the right step at the time it was taken and it was right to have representation there. If a Foreign Atfairs Committee could be set up— *nntl he hoped 'it vvouid be possible to do. so next week — it could then appraise the Moscow legation 's work. Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Oentral Otago; said there should be a stocktaking ot our position to see if we were justified in the huge expenditure on our overrepresentation. He thought Ministers in Australia and Canada might well b„e replaced by Trade Commissioners who wuuld give just as good a service at a greatly reduced cost. Mr. Fraser said to replaee the Ministers by Trade Commissioners would be a retrograde step. Ministers had access to other Ministers and to Governmental heads which Trade Commissioners simply did not have. If we were to be represented abroad, it should be done properly. In the United Btates espe-. cially, there was need for- . Ministeriai.: re.iyesent.atijOn- tff 'fekland7s viewpoint . It would no'.t be adequatbf 'te? bd rhpre- - sented there tlirougli the United Kingdom. New Zealand had a reputation to maintain and for this reason too our representation at international conferences, .costly though it might be, was imperative. -Mr. Butherland: We vviil get a turn at it next year. Mr. Fraser: If that is so I will support the Honourable Member. . . Mr, Goomnan conceded that in most cases our Ministers were doing an nnportant job, but he said nothing was ever heard of the wOrk being done in Moscow except for the small amount of information presented to the Public Accounts Committee. The estimates showed that our Ministers had to buy' furniture in Sweden and had to be supplied with food from New Zealand because it was impossible to obtain in Moscow, a balaneed diet suitable for a New Zealander. We should have waited a few years before sending a Minister to Moscow — until the Russians could at least supply him with food and furniture.