POINTS OF CONTACT

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5308, 22 January 1947, Page 4

POINTS OF CONTACT

\ | A COMPLAINT by Lord ! Templewood that Britain's ! eoonomic and political contacts ! with the Dominions are inadej quate at a time when the closest j relations are needed will find an j echo in the Antipodes. For many . j years, an Agent-General served | as the connecting link in London : | with the colonies, and as t-hese | grewr in importance, High Com- • ! missioners were appointed. Now, ; New Zealand has Ministers i posted in the Commonwealth ; | and foreign capitals, and it is ! I time that similar status was ; | accorded our representative at* ' the heart of the Empire. • | As far as Mr. Jordan is con- ' | cerned,. it would not add one j whit to his standing personally 1 1 as our representative — it could | not be higher — but it would no ! I doubt greatly facilitate his con- ; j tacts with the British Ministers wiio are in constant commuhica- i tion with the New Zealand Gov- ! ernment. Such an appointment ; would confer a further advan- ! tage on the Dominion from the I point of view7 of its internal | administration, as Cabinet Min- ! isters would not require to be ' abroad so frequently. Should j the Government's majority be 1 further reduced in the near I future, this suggested solution j for communication on the highj est level between New Zealand . I and the Mother Country will | probably acquire eonsiderable I merit among members of -the j j Parliamentary Labour Party. j The Opposition ought warmly : .! to support it also.