TERMS FOR JAPAN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 199, 23 August 1945, Page 7

TERMS FOR JAPAN

N.Z. NOT CONSULTED

MR. FRASER'S REGRET Parliamentary Reporter. WELLINGTON, this day. Regret that the New Zealand Government was not consulted before the Potsdam peace ultimatum was issued was expressed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, in the House of Representatives yesterday. Stating that New Zealand and Australia had taken their full share in the war in the Far East and were vitally concerned in the peace settlement with Japan, Mr. Fraser said the Government shared the regret of the Commonwealth Government that tne two Dominions had not been consulted.

Mr. Fraser made his statement in a written reply to a question asked previously by Mr. Aderman New Plymouth). Mr. Aderman had. pointed out that the peace ultimatum to Japan was equally important to Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Aderman alzo asked if this ultimatum foreshadowed peace terms for Japan which would be more lenient than those imposed on Germany. "The peace terms foreshadowed in the proclamation directed toward the Japanese people did seem to convey an impression of greater leniency than the full and detailed plans for Germany as worked out at Potsdam," continued Mr. Fraser. "However, subsequent events have shown that there is no intention to be lenient in the execution of the final terms of Japanese surrender in order to ensure _ the destruction of Japan's war-making power." Waikato Carbonisation Works A denial that the Waikato carbonisation works, which supplied char to the greater part of the North Island, were to be closed as an emergency measure was given by the Minister of Supply, Mr. Sullivan. The suggestion had been made in a question by Mr. Sim (Nat., Rotorua). The Minister of Lands, Mr. Skinner, said that the penal provisions of the Servicemen's Settlement and Land Sales Act would be invoked in every case where evidence was sufficient to warrant prosecution against a land agent or any other person who defeated the purposes of the Act. In the event of a land agent being convicted of such an offence the Government would no doubt consider the termination of the agent's license. Replying to Mr. Combs (Govt., Wellington Suburbs), the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, said that the question of introducing legislation making it mandatory for all politica parties to disclose the source of all contributions to party funds and the way in. which the funds were disbursed was receiving favourable consideration. The acting-Minister of Labour, Mr. O'Brien, replying to Mr. Hackett (Govt., Grey Lynn), said that the question of charges for rooms was being considered with a view to affording protection in cases similar to the one mentioned by Mr. Hackett of a person paving £3 weekly for one room containing only two beds and a duchess. The man paying this rent had informed a magistrate that he received a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits in the morning. The magistrate commented: "This is just sufficient to put the case outside the Fair Rents Act."