The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1941. TO WASHINGTON

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 107, 8 May 1941, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun.

THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1941. TO WASHINGTON

For the caute that lacks assistant*, For the vyrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that tee can do.

Many roads lead to Washington in those days, and soon New Zealand is to send two representatives there, one for the purpose of "initiating and promoting trade negotiations," the other to "organise and expedite arrangements for the supply of munitions." In present circumstances, which are likely to continue, the Dominion should obtain the munitions it needs wherever it can secure them. The calls upon the "arsenal of democracy," the United States, are tremendous, and the Dominion will be fortunate if even its relatively modest requirements can be supplied within a reasonable time. Mr. Coates has been entrusted with the task, and there will be general agreement as to his suitability for it, and approval of the Government's action in appointing one who has been amongst its principal political opponents. There will be less confidence in .the ability of Mr. Langstone to negotiate the sale of dairy produce,, and other produce in the United States. New Zealand has long sought entry to that market,, and if, as must be supposed, there is now ap opportunity of gaining it the opportunity should be exploited with all the skill the Dominion can command. Nothing in Mr. Langstone's career and experience suggests that he is nearly as well qualified for this task as a score of other men in New Zealand. If he is to go he should be accompanied, not only by "officers of the Customs, Supply and Marketing Departments," but also by representatives, experienced on both the producing and marketing sides, of the farming industries. Nobody in these times can foretell the future, but it is certain that, whether or not the United Kingdom after the war is able to offer the market upon which New Zealand has so greatly depended, alternative markets will be more than ever necessary. Not only the war-time welfare of the primary industries, but their peace-time future may be affected by the success or failure of the mission now proposed, and it is essential that the New Zealand representation should be as strong as possible. Governments come and Governments go, but New Zealand's economic welfare still t largely depends, and must for a considerable time depend, on the ability of her primary industries to sell their products abroad at prices which somebody is willing to pay. Mr. Langstone is also "to make preliminary arrangements for the establishment of a New Zealand Legation in Washington." No doubt it will be flattering to the Dominion's pelf-esteem to have a Legation abroad, but its other uses are extremely speculative. The influence exerdsable in Washington by a Minister representing a country with a population smaller than that of two-thirds of the separate States, a Minister who will be one of about sixty diplomatic representatives, cannot be great, and under the present conditions in the capital he will be hard put to it,to find office room. In present circumstances New Zealand could probably station a Minister in Canberra with greater advantage than is likely to be derived by one in Washington. Despite much lip-service to the idea, unity of thought and action between Australia and New Zealand is not nearly as close as it ought to be, though the need was never so great.