"NOT UNDERSTOOD"

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 114, 15 May 1936, Page 9

"NOT UNDERSTOOD"

ATTITUDE TO JAPAN, WOOL FROM NEW ZEALAND. «THE FRIENDLY WAY." (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The possibility of a misunderstanding being caused by a cable message from Japan to the effect that the Australian and New Zealand Governments were to confer shortly for the purpose of forming an anti-Japanese front in order to forestall Japan transferring her pur : chases of wool from Australia to New Zealand, was removed by a statement made in the House of Representatives this afternoon by the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage. The subject was raised by Mr. D. W. Coleman (Government, Gisborne) on behalf of Mr. Barnard (Government, Napier), who desired to know whether the statement was indicative of the policy of the New Zealand Government, and, if not, whether the Prime Minister would take steps to have the apparent misunderstanding in Japan removed. Mr. Savage replied that he had noticed the paragraph. No such proposals had ever been made to the Government. Japan and other nations might rest assured that the New Zealand Government would deal with them in a friendly and common-sense way (hear, hear), and that trade relations with other countries would be discussed on their merits. Expressions of approval from all parts of the House followed the Prime Minister's statement.