SOUTH PACIFIC AFFAIRS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 March 1939, Page 5

SOUTH PACIFIC AFFAIRS

CONFERENCE TO MEET SHORTLY IN NEW ZEALAND

British and Australian Representatives to Attend DEFENCE AND OTHER QUESTIONS OF MUTUAL INTEREST (By Telegraph.- Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day Arrangements for a conference in New Zealand between representative of the British, Australian and New Zealand Governments to discuss Pacific questions of mutual interest were announced last night by the Prime Minister, Mr Savage. Defence will be among the subjects considered by the conference, which is the outcome of a suggestion by the New Zealand Government.

Mr Savage said that as the result of a suggestion put forward about the middle of last year by his Majesty’s Government in New Zealand, which had since been under discussion between the Governments concerned, arrangements had now been completed for a meeting in New Zealand in the near future of a conference between representatives of the Governments of the United Kingdom, of the Commonwealth of Australia,- and of New Zealand, to consider Pacific questions of common concern with special reference to defence questions. The United Kingdom representatives will be the High Commissioner in New, Zealand for his Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom, the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific and representatives of the Defence services. The Australian representatives will be Vice-Admiral Sir Ragnar Colvin (First Naval Member) and senior officers of the Australian Army .and Air Forces. The name?, of the New Zealand representatives will .be announced later.

DISCUSSIONS BY EXPERTS A Press Association message from Canberra states that the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Lyons, said yesterday that, as a result of a suggestion made last year by the New Zealand Government, arrangements were now completed for a conference in New Zealand in the near future. The Australian representatives, in addition to ViceAdmiral Colvin, will be Colonel V. A. H. Sturdee, and Wing Commander G. Jones.

The discussions of the experts, Mr Lyons added, would not commit the Government in any respect as to questions of policy. Questions of policy would be reserved for consideration between Ministers at the Imperial Conferences.