NO TRADE TALKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 December 1938, Page 7

NO TRADE TALKS

MR S. M. BRUCE’S VISIT TO UNITED STATES NOT ENGAGED IN OFFICIAL MISSION. DESIROUS OF OBTAINING INFORMATION. By Telegraph—-Press Association—Copyright. NEW YORK, December 15. The Australian High Commissioner in London, Mr S. M. Bruce, arrived here today, but, since the liner Queen Mary was almost 12 hours late, arrangements made for meeting him had to be modified.

Members of the official party appointed to meet him were compelled to return to Washington by air befor the vessel docked, because of the necessity of attending the President’s diplomatic reception. The city authorities provided a police motor-cycle escort to his hotel. Mr Bruce will remain in New York till late on Saturday, because of the loss of a day here, but he expects to leave Washington on December 23, according to schedule. In an interview with the Australian Associated Press, Mr Bruce stressed the point that he had no mission to initiate trade agreement discussions, to inform the United States Government regarding British policy, to make important addresses in America, to make any specific investigations or otherwise to carry out any official mission. “Naturally I will listen to everything I can hear about the agreement situation and about the American attitude to European affairs, or anything else that can possibly be of interest to Australia, and when I report to my Government ! will indicate what I have learned,” said Mr Bruce.

“Perhaps it will be possible later to estimate for the Australian public what the American viewpoint is regarding this or' that international question. Maybe I shall know better as a result of my visit to Washington.”