MR FRASER IN LONDON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 October 1939, Page 6

MR FRASER IN LONDON

JOURNEY BY AIR TAKES SIXTEEN DAYS IMPENDING CONFERENCE. CO-ORDINATION OF WAR MEASURES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The journey Home by air of the New Zealand delegate to the conference of Empire Ministers, Mr P. Fraser, took sixteen days, including the time for stopovers at Auckland and Sydney. Mr Fraser will represent New Zealand at the conference of Empire Ministers to discuss the co-ordination of war measures within the Empire. He is accompanied by Mr C. A. Berendsen, Permanent Head of the Prime Minister’s Department; Colonel Stevens, Secretary of the Organisation for National Security, and Mr J. T. Waugh, his private secretary. The party left Wellington on October 11 for Auckland and flew to Sydney by the Aotearoa, arriving after a good crossing. Commenting on the task Mr Fraser had before him in London, Mr Savage today emphasised the value of personal contact. “Personal touch,” he said, “gives the Government a better opportunity of co-ordinating in what they are doing. In this case they have a big job, perhaps the biggest job they ever will be called upon to do and it is desirable to have representative men on the spot to discuss things and see for themselves what is actually happening. No matter how well you try to do things by cables and letters it is never done so well as by personal contact.” Mr Savage added: “The job ahead of them is a big one and it is easy for misunderstandings to crop up, even through the best of intentions. It was desirable to have the men meeting so that there would be no misunderstandings. We have tried to make it plain that we are going the full distance with the British Commonwealth and we want to be sure that it is expressed in our actions right through.” Mr Savage was unable to say how long Mr Fraser expected to stay in London. “I have told him to stay there while there is a job to be done,” he said. WELCOME ON ARRIVAL (Received This' Day, 10.5 a.m.) LONDON, October 27. Mr Petei’ Fraser and his party arrived at a Channel port and were met by Mr W. J. Jordan. They are due in London this evening. Mr Fraser said today (a Daventry message reports) that the entire resources of New Zealand were placed at the disposal of Britain.