N.Z. LEGATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 October 1941, Page 4

N.Z. LEGATION

PLANS FOR ESTABLISHMENT IN WASHINGTON STATEMENT BY PREMIER. TRADE & OTHER AFFAIRS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. ‘■How far has the Government got with the project of establishing a legation in Washington, is it proposed to make the present, position permanent, and if so, what will happen to Waimarino?” asked the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland, when referring, in the House of Representatives last evening, to an item in the Supplementary Estimates of £2OOO as preliminary expenses toward the establishment of a New Zealand Legation in Washington. .Mr Holland said he thought the Prime Minister would be doing a public service if he would give an explanation of the position, because the country was very much interested in the development of the Dominion’s relations with the United States and they would like to know what progress had been made. They were also interested because the Minister of Lands, Mr Langstone, was in charge of the trade side of their activities. He thought it time that the Prime Minister said something about Mi’ Langstone, whom they had all missed during the past few months.

“The whole question of providing suitable and worthy premises for the legation is under consideration and, I hope, action,” replied the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, “and this amount of £2OOO will have to be increased, because premises worthy of the country could not be obtained for that sum. Mr Langstone has done excellent work in America, and both he and Mr Coates have been highly spoken of by United States officials. Mr Langstone would have been back in New Zealand now, but we thought that as he was in America and as he had attended a former conference, it was desirable that he should represent New Zealand at the International Labour Conference in New York.” Mr Fraser added that the appointment of the Minister in Washington would be made later. Mr Polson (Opposition, Stratford): “What about trade?”

The Prime Minister said they had a fairly extensive trade mission in America at present. The ramifications of the Lease-Lend agreement were very extensive and intricate, and when he had heard in Britain the size of the staff engaged he had thought there was a grave danger of overdoing it. It had been with reluctance, because he did not like redundant staffing, that he had been forced to the conclusion that the staff was fully required. The whole question of trade agreements was under consideration and whether it could be arranged was more than he could say. The matter, however, was being handled expeditiously.