EXCHANGING OFFICERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1061, 27 August 1930, Page 10

EXCHANGING OFFICERS

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE DISCUSSION DIPLOMATIC WORK From Our Resident Reporter WELLINGTON, Tuesday. One of the most important matters of administrative machinery to be discussed at the Imperial Conference, it is learned, concerns the exchange of advisory officers, between Britain and the Dominions (o enable each Government readily to appreciate the position of the other in any matters of international importance.

Treaties, trade agreements and anj’ other affairs in which Britain is negotiating with foreign powers, will furnish the matter on which these officers will be asked to advise the Imperial Government in respect to the attitude of their own administrations.

The principle of this was affirmed at a previous conference/and two officers from Australia have already visited the Mother Country for a period, while Mr. P. B. B. Nichols, from the Foreign Office, was seconded for service in New Zealand in 192 S and re mained here two years.

Mr. Nichols's saalry was paid by ihc Foreign Office during his stay In the Dominion, and the New Zealand Government, it is now learned, was to have appointed an exchange officer to the Dominions Office, in London, to act in the same advisory capacity as that occupied by Mr. Nichols in tin's country. This appointment was not made largely because of the difficulty of discovering a suitable officer to appoint. Lack of training and lack of interest in international affairs on the part of men avaifaWe caused the Gov eminent to defer snaking the appointment.

With the approach of the Imperial Conference the lucid expositions of British affairs which were available from Mr. Nichols have been greatly missed by the Prime Minister’s Department. and it is understood that the matter of appointment of another officer of the Foreign Office to the same post, is under consideration. A definite ba.*is for future exchane, it is hoped, will be arrived at in London in October.