MR WALTER NASH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 April 1943, Page 3

MR WALTER NASH

RETURN TO UNITED STATES i DESIRED 1 I — ) LETTER FROM PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. NEW ZEALAND WAR EFFORT. PRAISED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, April 6. A letter to the Prime Minister from President Roosevelt brought by Mr. Nash from Washington was handed to the Press today by Mr Fraser. Dated March 18, the letter says: “My dear Mr Prime Minister: I am sending this letter by Mr Walter Nash, and I hope that you will let Mr Nash come back to Washington again as soon as you can. He has been a splendid representative of our sister democracy of New Zealand. May I also take this . opportunity of expressing my congratulations to the people of New Zealand on their splendid part in the war. And may I also thank all of them for their cordial hospitality to our American soldiers, sailors and marines. The result is already the basis of a greater friendship and understanding in the future than we have had before. With my sincere regards, Franklin D. Roosevelt.” , , A personal letter addressed to Mr Nash by Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt expresses the first lady’s regret in not having the opportunity to see him before his departure. “I hope,” wrote Mrs Roosevelt, “you will tell the Prime Minister that I have heard much of the splendid work that the women of New Zealand are doing toward the prosecution of our common war for the maintenance of our liberties. I have been tremendously impressed by the fact that the women of the Allied nations are increasingly taking part in all forms of production and are fitting into hundreds of different kinds of places not hitherto filled by women. In this, the women of New Zealand are playing their full part. I hope you will have a quick and safe return home, and that you will soon be back here in Washington once more.” USE OF PACIFIC BASES. New Zealand has not been committed by any statement by Mr Nash in America to the granting for permanent use of any of our bases to the United States or any other Power. Mr Nash, interviewed today, made this clear. He said the subject was opened in a question by a notable American correspondent in an interview in which a number of questions allied to the subject were asked. The meaning of his statements, Mr Nash emphasised, depended on an understanding' of the questions asked and the wording of his replies. The first question asked had been: “Do you think New Zealand would be willing to enter into an agreement for the use of bases for a permanent mutual defensive system?” to which his reply was: “Yes, on a mutual basis.” Other questions, all couched in somewhat similar terms, were asked, and he replied that he thought New Zealand would be agreeable to the use by the United States of any bases that we might have for permanent mutual defensive purposes. This would depend entirely upon an agreement which would ensure that we would have the use of any bases that were under the control of the United States. Another question concerned New Zealand’s willingness to enter into an agreement with any other nation. To this he had replied that we would be willing to discuss the matter at any time with any of the United Nations, in an endeavour to prevent such happenings as that of September, 1939, or December, 1941. This discussion would have to be on a United Nations basis — and he had named the nations he had meant by that, namely, China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. RELATIONS WITH BRITAIN. “There have been for many years ideas in the United States that members of the British Commonwealth of Nations other than the United Kingdom are sub-servient to and almost impelled to follow London’s dictates,” said Mr Nash. “I have affirmed that New Zealand has never and will never do what she is told to do. I have affirmed also that if New Zealand is ask-

ed by Britain to do anything, such is her respect for Britain that New Zealand will do more than she is asked to do.’” New Zealand, said Mr Nash, had made a contribution to the war effort proportionately as great as that made by. any other country outside or inside the British Commonwealth. Her natural outlook fitted her to make a great contribution. There were things necessary for the prosecution of war. There could never be any argument in this country whether we should or should not do those things. Our purpose was to resolve to do everything we could to bring the conflict to a victorious conclusion. We would never argueabout who was doing the most. ARRIVAL IN WELLINGTON (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Mr Nash arrived in Wellington this morning, with him the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser), Mrs Fraser and Mrs Nash. A large crowd, including members of Mr Nash’s family, representatives of the Legislature, Government Departments, the New Zealand Labour Party, Allied countries, the Army and the trades union movement were present at the station to welcome him.