'NOT ENCOURAGING'

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 226, 24 September 1938, Page 10

'NOT ENCOURAGING'

MR. SAVAGE'S VIEW. SITUATIQN IN EUROPE. MAY NOT LEAVE WELLINGTON. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON*, this day. The possibility of his not being able jto leave Wellington for election purposes in view of the European situation i was mentioned by the Prime Minister, the Bight Hon. M. J. Savage, in an i interview to-day. "I will carry out my arrangements, | of course, if things do not become any I worse, but I have to 'be prepared for not being able to get away," said Mr. Savage. "I don't want anybody to get the wind up, because everyone will hope that something good will couie out of the discussions between Mr. Chamberlain and Herr Hitler, but it is not ! encouraging, to say the least. If things iget any worse it may be that I will Ibe tied to Wellington for the whole of the election campaign. I regret that ! possibility, just as much as the people I I have arranged to speak to will regret [it, hut, after all is said and done, the i part we can play in war activities, if the worst comes to the worst, must come first. I will get out as much as I can, hut I am not going to neglect my responsibilities to the defence of this country unnecessarily. "I cannot afford to under-estimate the seriousness of the part I will be expected to play," Mr. Savage said. He added that he fully believed he would be able to carry out what he had agreed to do. Nevertheless, it might be that he could not carry out his arrangements, and he wanted the people to understand that from the beginning. The present arrangement was that lie should leave Wellington on Monday night and speak at Christchurch on Tuesday night. Later he would go on to Dunedin and Invercargill, and return to Wellington on October 4. It was proposed that he would be in New Plymouth about October 6, in Auckland on October 11. and in Hamiltori on October 13, and return to Wellington for election day. "Prime Ministers have «ftway« been'in the capital city on election night, and I think I should be here as well." said Mr. Savage. The arrangement at present was that he should broadcast from Dunedin and Auckland, and if he was unable to leave Wellington he would still carry out his broadcasts from Wellington. He said there would also be the final broadcast on the night before the election, when the leader of the Nation il party, the Hon. A. Hamilton, would also i speak.