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Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 175, 26 July 1944, Page 6

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FINANCE MINISTER

POWERS CO-OPERATING (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash, and former New Zealand Minister to Washington, arrived in Wellington to-day a few minutes before 1 o'clock. Six days ago he was at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, where the international monetary conference was held.

Mr. Nash was accompanied by Mrs. Nash. Lieutenant-General E. Puttick. General Office Commanding New Zealand Forces, and his aide. Major G. Crossley. and the Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. B. C. Ashwin. They travelled by special transport plane placed at the disposal of Mr. Nash by courtesy of Admiral King and the U.S. Army Transport Command.

Mr. Nash would have been in New Zealand within 33 hours but for stops at Honolulu and Fiji. The party left Fiji at 12.20 a.m. to-day and reached Ohakea at 5.30 a.m. They passed over Auckland this morning at 7 o'clock. On the flight from San Francisco to Honolulu the machine made a record passage of 10® hours.

Developments Overseas

In a brief interview before he saw the Prime Minister. Mr. Fraser. Mr. Nash, referring to developments overseas in recent weeks said that everyone realised that conditions in the world to-day were better than for some time. While it was unwise to be optimistic, it was obvious that there had been some disintegration in Germany and Japan during the past month.

"Our job." added Mr. Nash, "is not to let up for a fraction. Because there are certain signs of victory we must hit harder and quicker everywhere. The sooner the job, from a military point of view, is over the better, for the more quickly we can get on with the job—just as difficult—of getting things in order, so that we can create conditions offering the possibility of stopping this type of thing ever happening again."

Mr. Nash also dealt briefly with the monetary conference, at which he was the leader of the New Zealand delegation. He said that probably the most promising thing he had experienced during the last six months in the United States was centred round that conference, where 44 important delegations were present. Those responsible parties present argued matters out, and while no full agreement was reached there was a better understanding as to the way the major, Fowers, the European Powers, as well as the other smaller Powers, were moving towards the possibilities of working together better than ever. Matters had to be threshed out. There was no question of an agreement. and no one was committed to anything. Mr. Nash also said that the 1.L.0. conference at Philadelphia was a great gathering.