MR FRASER IN AMERICA

Southland Times, Issue 24833, 27 August 1942, Page 4

MR FRASER IN AMERICA

Talks With President Roosevelt (P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 26. The Prime Minister, the RL Hon. P. Fraser, is visiting the United States at the invitation of President Roosevelt and has been received at the White House, Washington, by the President. Mr Roosevelt’s secretary, Mr Stephen Early, said he assumed Mr Fraser would attend the Pacific War Council during his visit, but no details of his programme had yet been announced. The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, said that in response to an invitation extended by Mr Roosevelt to visit America Mr Fraser left New Zealand some days ago. BrigadierGeneral P. J. Hurley, the American Minister to New Zealand, travelled to America with Mr Fraser, the other members of the party including Messrs C. A. Berendsen, Permanent Head of the Prime-Minister’s Department, B. C. Ashwin, Secretary to the Treasury, and A. D. Mclntosh. It is not expected that Mr Fraser will be absent for more than three or. four weeks. During his stay in America he will discuss with Mr Roosevelt questions connected with the defence of common interests in the Pacific and many other matters of mutual concern to the two countries. It is announced from Washington that Mr Roosevelt stated that he had invited the Prime Ministers, of Australia and South Africa to visit him some time this year to confer on the progress of the war. TALKS ON STRATEGY A message from New York states that the Washington correspondent, of The New York Times says that informed circles say that Mr Roosevelt and Mr Fraser will discuss a world-wide war strategy and will be aided in their talks by the fact that Mr Fraser recently held long conferences in Australia and also that the Hon. W. Nash has just returned from London, where he conferred with the War Cabinet. Mr Fraser is expected to sign new lend-lease agreements formalizing the reciprocal aid New Zealand has been giving American troops. Mr Fraser will also probably engage in second front conversations since New Zealand is interested in any United Nations’ strategy affecting the operations in the South-West Pacific. He is expected to attend Thursday’s session of the Pacific War Council. •