BRITISH DIPLOMAT COMES TO NEW ZEALAND

Chronicle (Levin), 21 April 1947, Page 3

BRITISH DIPLOMAT COMES TO NEW ZEALAND

?res« Associaiion

By Telegrapn—

AUCKLAND, April 20. A leading diplomat at the British Foreign (Jitiee, Lord Killearn, fornierly Sir Aliles Lampson, arrived by Tasman : Airways 'Empire flying-boat from Syd- : ney. Lord Killearn, who was appointed special commissioner in Southeast Asia for the British Goyerninent last year, was accompanied by Lady Killearn and their three children. They are spending several weeks' holiday in New Zealand at the invitation of the Government and will stay at Government House during the early part of their visit as guests of the GovernorGeneral, Sir Bernard Freyberg, V.C., and Lady Freyberg. E.xpressing liis pleasure at visiting New Zealand, Lord Killearn said he and Lady Killearn had looked forward to their stay here for some time. Neither had beeu in tNew Zealand before and they believed they would iind the temperate claime of great beneiit after the oppressive heat of South-East Asia. Thfey liad planued to come to New Zealand last February but through unforeseen circumstances, they had to postpone the trip. After rising early to catcli the flying boat from Sydney on Saturday inorning, their hopes of reaching New Zealand that afternoon were shattered when the aircraft had to turn back two hours out from Aust>ralia. Asked about his recent mission in the Dutch East Indies which aimed at bringing the Dutch and Indonesian elements together, Lord Killearn expressed optimism about the position. An agreement had been signed and he thought it would work. At present South-East Asia was in the course of inoral and material recoustruction after the war. However, it was remarlcable how quickly the countries were recovering. Lord Killearn entered the Foreign Oiiiee in 1903 and served successively at Tokyo and Peking. During the Kelchak period he was High Commissioner in Siberia. He was attached to the British delegation to the Washington naval conference in 1921-22 and in 1925-2(5 he attended meetings of the League of Nations Council as head of the central European department of the Foreign Office from 1921 to 1926. He won a great reputation as a tireless and coiupetent worker.