NEW CONSULGENERAL

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1931, Page 5

NEW CONSULGENERAL

MR CALVIN M. HITCH ARRIVES. WELLINGTON, March :). ■ I understand your population here is nearly 100 per cent. English,” said Air Calvin Al. Hitch, the new ConsulGeneral for the United States at Wellington, who arrived here by the .Mono, wai to-day to take up his appointment. “I’ll get along nicely, I think, because I 1 ii«vo it lot of friends hack in Old England, and a son married there,

Mr lliu-h was burn in Georgia and educated at Kentucky University. For sonic years lq- practised law, and held tli- position ol prosecuting attorney in Georgia. After a term in the Georgia Legislature he was appointed in 191.3 Assistant-Chief of Latin-Ameriean Affairs. He has been in the consular service for rather less than 20 years. He was stationed lor a long period at Nottingham. England. -Since then he has been at Basel. Switzerland, and he leftthere alter eight years to take up his present appointment, the United -States having raised the status of its Consulate in this country to that of ConsulGeneral. He returned from Switzerland hv wav of America

Mr Hitch (onfessed that hr- was delighted to he back in an English-speak-ing country. Although like most of those in consular service. Air Hitch did not feel free to talk of American politics, he said he had been itt Chicago for two days shortly before leaving America, and found that the elections were making a great deal of news. Much bitterness was being injected into the campaign. His recent trip Ithrougli California and the neighbouring States had been the first time Mr Hitch had travelled west of the Mississippi. He professed keen interest in the western pastoral districts. It was amazing, he said, that all pasture in the d<wrfc areas was small sage hushes, on which cattle seemed to thrive.