Mr. Fraser Confers With Canadian Reporters

Chronicle (Levin), 10 January 1949, Page 3

Mr. Fraser Confers With Canadian Reporters

- Eeceived Suixday 7 p.m. OTTAWA, Jan. 8. The New Zealand Prixne Minister, Mr. Peter Fraser, arrived here 011 Friday night from Englaud. He plaiis to confer with Canadian otiicials for a few days, will fly to New York on Mondav and will go to Washington .on January 12 for five -days, seeing President Truman on January 14. Asked the purpose of his visit, Mr, Fraser said: "Just renewing old aevquaintances. " He Jooked somewhat tired after the trip and retired as soon as he reached his snite. . Mr. Fraser covered a wide range of subjeets in an hour-long press conferenee. He seemed well rested. He said that wliile in London he becaine the first Prime Minister to see the Eoyal baby. "1 was at the Palaee having tea with their Majesties, when I received ti message from Princess Elizabeth asking if I would lilte to see the baby. What would you have done ? He is a beautiful child and I thonght he looked lilce his mother altliough babies change from day to day. Mr. Attlee told me afterfards that he had uot seen the baby yet." Four Very G-ood Maoris Asked about the status of Maoris in New Zealand, Mr. Fraser said: "They live on grounds of social, economic and educational equality with ourselves. They are fully represented in Parliament — they have four very good members, all Labour, supporting my Government. The ^laoris have shown whai can be donc by native races in a hundred ^years if given' the chance. The A.ustralian aborigines have pfoven the sarne when given the opportunity. 1 certainly hope the' Duteli will be able to reacli a solution of .their problems with tlie Eepublieans in Indonesia so that the natives there wil be alile to get on with shaping their own destiny. " Diplomatic Masterpiece Discussing the Atlantic Pact, Mr. Elraser said: "We are completely in favour of this Pact and regard it as a masterpiece of diplomatic policy initiated by ITr. Bevin.- We hope other Western nations will join when the Pact is set up. ' ' Dealing with elforts to restore world •trade, Mr. Fraser s-aid: "We appreeiate the generous assistanee Canada has given to the (Jnited Kingdom. As for the United Btates, I regard the Marsliall plan as' the most '..eonstruetive rehabilitation sclienie the world has ever known. ' ' Mr. Fraser said he eould see no further reduction in Neu* Zealand purchases from Canada. "They are at a mininium now. We have to have niotor c-ars ayd transport. " He said there were plans afoot to mak'e puip and paper in New Zealand but it would be too early to say what might come of thenu Discussing Commonwealth relations, he said: "We want to do all we can to hel]i> Eire in the COurse that she has chosen to follow. I would say that both in Eire and in India there exists a greater feelipg of friendship for Britaiu and thc British Commonwealth than ever in our lifetime oi^.before. I hope that the remaining diffivulties between Eire and Northern Ireland can be solved in a peaceful and friondiy wav. " 1 The Montreal Daily Star descrihes Mr. Fraser as "strictly the type of man you are accustomed to talking to over a back fence." The newspaper i

- • ' . adds: ' ' But'itf any xnan talking over your "back .'fence was as incisive and sensible hs' Peter. Fraser, you would know you were tra.ding words with an extarordinary indiSfikiihl. ' * soo.i The Daily Star says iodked like any dishevelled travelle®A when he arrived at Montreal but -\*$nee jlje started to' talk to reportepgohjsf-ord'mafy aspect Vanished. He.isda'fted the intlrview by referrfng boldly to the 'British' Commonwealth of Nations. Asked whether 1m approvcd , of dropping- the word Britqsli, Mr. Fraser replied ' it is a good idea-to keep' British in-the title aecause Britain is the hub of this association of nations. I have no cjuarrel with anvonc who drops the word British but I will certainly always use it. ' "