BRITISH DEFENCE IN PACIFIC

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 143, 13 March 1939, Page 10

BRITISH DEFENCE IN PACIFIC

Arrangements For Important Conference In New Zealand COMMON PROBLEMS TO BE CONSIDERED Representatives Of United Kingdom, Australia And Dominion ■Arrangements lor a conference in New Zealand between representatives of the British, Austiahan and New Zealand Governments to discuss Pacific questions ol mutual interest were announced last night by the 1 rime Minister. Mr. Savage. Defence will be among the subjects considered by the conference, which is the outcome of a suggestion by the New Zealand Government. ■Mr Savage said that as the result of a suggestion put loiwaref about the middle of last year by His Majesty s Government in New Zealand, which had since been under discussion between the Governments concerned,-arrangements had now been con - leted for a meeting in'New Zealand in the near future of a • conference between representatives of the Governments of the United Kingdom, of the Commonwealth of Australia, and of Zealand, to consider Pacific questions of common concern with soecinl reference to defence Questions. , The United Kingdom representative will be the High Commissioner in New Zealand for His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom, the High Commissioner foi the" Pacific and representatives of the defence services, the An traliau representatives will be Vice-Admiral Sir Ragnar Colvin (First Naval Member) and senior officers of the Anstral ’ an and Air Forces. The names of the New Zealand representativ s will be announced later. STATEMENT BY MR. LYONS A Press Association message from Canberra states that the Prime Minister of Australia Mr. Lyons, said yesten day vm a a result of a suggestion made last year by the New Zealand Government, arrangements were now completed for a confeienc in New Zealand in the near future. The Australian repiesenfi"ives, in addition to Vice-Admiral Colvin, will be Colonel V. A. ir Sturdee and Wing Commander G. Jones. The discussions of the experts. Mr. Lyons added, would not commit the Government in any respect as to questions of policy. Questions of policy would be reserved for consideration betwee Ministers’at the Imperial Conferences.