NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 232, 28 June 1944, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Cabinet and Labour Party officials Save said goodbye to Mr. C. W. Boswell, who is to proceed to Moscow to take up his position as New Zealand’s envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the Government of Soviet Russia. The appointments to the new ministerial staff have been announced—first secretary, second secretary, archivist and so on. But as yet no member of the Government has outlined exactly what duties Mr. BosweU will undertake on behalf of the Dominion. Presumably those in the very highest grades of the diplomatic service do not deal with such things as trade and commerce, but direct their abilities and energies to the larger issues that have ’a bearing on international affairs, with, of course, particular reference to those matters that Impinge on the relations between the two Governments. As yet no one has given any information as to what those relations are. The trading figures for recent years are not available, but in 1941 our exports to Russia were insignificant and were grouped with “other countries” and seem to have been limited to the purchase of some wool for the first time. As for imports Russia does not appear in the list at all, but may be included in the “other foreign countries which between them accounted for 2.24’ per cent, of our imports in that year, so even if trade came within the purview of oijr minister plenipotentiary the field of operations would be extremely limited. What is it anticipated that our legation—if that is the word—will be able to do in Moscow that could not be done through existing diplomatic channels? What is going into the archives when the two countries have a minimum of trading relations and, as far as can be discerned, no diplomatic problems likely to cause any mutual concern. To most people the appointment will be regarded as a costly and needless extravagance—a wasteful squandering of public money at a time when the burdens on the community press with everincreasing harshness.

Exceptionally dry weather conditions at a critical period of the season made it impossible for many farmers to respond to the request of the Meat Board that they should hold their stock a little longer than usual and so send heavier sheep and lambs to the works. The latest returns, however, show that an effort was made. The lambs killed this season have averaged out at l/10th of a pound above those killed last year and, on a total killing of nearly 10,000,000 head, that meant an. additional 1,000,0001 b. of meat. Wethers, too, have been slightly heavier, 55.211 b. as against ,54.381 b. last season, but the ewes were nearly 21b. lighter in weight, and for the reason already mentioned. The dry spring months, when they were mothering the lambs, caused them to lose condition rapidly, and the results are seen in the figures issued. There is some consolation in the fact that, but for the effort of producers to increase the weights of lambs and wethers, the decline in the aggregate would have been much heavier. Given favourable climatic conditions the policy advocated by the Meat Board should prove of greater value in the season ahead, and the demand will certainly be exceptional.

One of the factors in the interplay of European polities in relation to future peace settlements is said to be the foreign element in the United States. According to the “United States News” there are in that country 34,500,000 persons who were born in other countries or born in the United States of foreign parentage, and therefore not far removed from the influence of a foreign environment, or impervious to pressure impacts from abroad. “European political battles,” it is stated, “are being fought out among these nationalistic minorities. Governments in exile are well financed. Some have money of their own. They are using these foreign minorities as sounding boards in an effort to sway American foreign policy in their direction, to sustain themselves in power after the war, or to win points they consider at stake in the pence.” As instances of these things the writer of the article asserts that an Irish vote hung in the balance when President Roosevelt requested the Government of Eire to expel the Axis diplomats. There are 2,700,000 persons of Irish descent in the United States. Large numbers of Italians in America were opposed to the Badoglio Government in Italy. American citizens of Italian ancestry number 4,500,000. Americanized Poles are suspicious of Russia. These total 2,900,000. This in an interesting glimpse of one of the facets of the American political situation, which, says the writer, should not be ignored in studying the Presidential and Congressional elections to be held in November next.