A WELL-KEPT SECRET.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 84, 15 March 1916, Page 3

A WELL-KEPT SECRET.

AUSTRALIAN PREMIER’S CALL AT AUCKLAND. QUIET INTERVIEWS WITH MR MASSEV. ](Auckland Star Special). j t Wellington, March 13. Now. that Mr Hughes, the Commonwealth Prime Minister, is safe and sbmld in England, there is ,no harm In the story of his visit to Ne\v Zealand, which was kept an absolute secret J)y the Press alp, Ajlr Hughes’ request, until he himspll made it public in London. Australian papers have been permitted, after a discreet: interval;-.to let the.public in-, to the interesting story of bow their Prime Minister dodged the curious, and put people off the scent as to bis real route from Australia to Fngland. This was done by starting put lor Port Melbourne in the ordinary way, but jbfeAking the journey at a wayside j station. motoring to an unlreqneijt spot, and going aboard - a 1 fug which enabled the- party to, catch a waitino- Vancouver mail steamer out ° r, at sea. ':,

Avimn Mr Hughes, his wife and baby daughter, with the secretarial staff, reached Auckland, on-route.tor Canada, the newspapers were placed on their honour not to make “copy out of the aurival of so distinguished a visitor. New Zealand's Prime -Minister went from Wellington to see him and the party, together with the A 1 blister of Lands of the Commonwealth, who was touring New Zealand at the time, % ,rr«» the guests ol the 'Government i’lir Massey and Air Hughes spent bba greater part of two days together, and some attention was paid to the sights, as well { ,s to the important Imperial questions which had to lie discussed by the two Premiers. Though everything was well known to the newspapers. they loyally kept the secret from their readers, and now they may use their interesting, if belated, “scoop.” , Tim Bight Hon. AV. F. Massey, an

I giving your correspondent permission < to publish these facts, spoke in terms of high appreciation of the way in which Auckland pressmen, and, in fact, pressmen throughout the coutij try—many of whom knew of the visit I —had kept the matter out of their 1 columns. The Australian Prune .Minister and his host were photographed on the top of Mount Eden, an interesting volcanic cone. “It is quite an historic picture,” remarked the Prime Minister, “hut it has not got into the New Zealand illustrated papers; in fact, the .proofs were sent on to Canada on the same steamer, and J have -no copies myself!” As lor. the iiupflilant discussions which went oti. they are still a close secret.