STEVENS AND WILLIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 117, 19 May 1932, Page 7

STEVENS AND WILLIS.

N.S.W. Agent-General to Cease Lang Plan Advocacy. REBUFF ADMINISTERED. (Received 11 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. The Premier of New South Wales, Mr. 15. S. Stevens, has cabled to Mr. A. C. Willis, Agent-General in London, to cease advocating the Lang plan and repudiation, for which course lie has no authority from the present Government. Mr. Willis also is asked to suspend all negotiations for a reduction in interest with British bondholders, as this matter, Mr. Stevens has pointed out, is entirely one for the Australian Loan Council. Mr. Willis declined to disclose the contents of the cable from Mr. Stevens. In a statement to the Press Mr. "Willis said he regarded Mr. Stevens' cable as merely a notification of the Ministry s policy on which he was not prepared to comment. "Mr. Lang's instructions to me have never gone beyond a request for time to pay. I never understood that as a policy of repudiation.'

The Labour "Daily Herald" diplomatic correspondent says that Mr. Stevens action in publicly rebuking Mr. Willis has aroused much comment. It is generally considered that the publication of Mr. Stevens' cable without awaiting Mr. Willis' reply was a deliberate affront made in the'liope of provoking Mr. Willis to resign.