BRITISH MINISTERS AND THE COMMONWEALTH

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26122, 26 May 1950, Page 6

BRITISH MINISTERS AND THE COMMONWEALTH

LONDON LETTER

[By NEVILE WEBBER. London Correspondent of “The Press”!

London, May 12.—At every recent i meeting of Empire journalists with j the Secretary of State for Common- ; wealth Relations one question has al- | ways been asked: “Is the Minister con- 1 templating a visit to lhe Commonwealth countries?” And every time ! the same indefinite answer is received: the Minister would be delighted if j •only it could be arranged, etc., etc. Yesterday was no exception. On I this occasion,’ however, more weight than usual was lent to the query . (which came from an Australian) by the loud “Hear, hear” from the new Australian Resident Minister in London (Mr E. J. Harrison) and from Sir Keith Murdoch, proprietor of the “Melbourne Herald” and one of the most Empire-minded of Commonwealth newspaper owners. This recurring, question reflects the opinion of many observers here that British Cabinet Ministers know far too little about the Commonwealth. To-day. the importance of first-hand knowledge has never been greater, especially for the Commonwealth Minister; and yet, apart from Lord Pakenham (Minister of Civil Aviation), not one senior Minister has visited New Zealand and Australia since the war. Mr Attlee was to have gone in 1946. but the Paris Peace Conference and “other difficulties” made him cancel the project. Although the immediate results from a visit by the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations might not be spectacular, there is no doubt that the long-term benefits would be great. It would enable this important Minister to exchange views and discuss problems at first-hand with members of Parliament in the various countries and to gain for himself a knowledge of the countries and people with whom he is working. Interest in Migration Although last week's announcement

that New Zealand is to assist emigrating married couples and family groups received poor publicity in the national press, the news was not long in circulating. Telephones at Halifax House and New Zealand House have been ringing almost continually: and so many personal inquiries have been received that individual interviews have had to be abandoned in favour of group addresses. Some couples have come specially to London from as far afield as Leeds in order to find out further particulars. The Red Dean Again For a long time the Dean of Canterbury (the “Red Dean”) has been a source of embarrassment to churchmen. He continues to flaunt his Soviet sympathies and admiration for the Russian way of life from Communist platforms. Some are now wondering whether his recent remarks in Canada, when he described the Archbishop of Canterbury as “illiterate about his own clergy and profoundly ignorant about what is going on in Russia.” and his subsequent statement that “the King appointed me and the King would have to fire me.” are sufficient grounds for his dismissal. 11 seems that they are not. as he has not yet contravened ecclesiastical law. It appears that he can be dismissed only by the King acting on the Prime Minister’s which, says the “Spec-

I tator,” “would be a very popular step ; if the appropriate advice was tendered ' to His Majesty now.” Seditious Stamps ! At the International Stamp ExhibiI tion now being held in London 1 was interested to read about the fuss and bother over printing the Queen's t ' image on the nrst postage stamps is- ; sued 110 years ago. Then it was argued that the Royal image might appear on coins, which were handled , with respect, but not on stamps, which had to be defaced in franking. .Some oven saw in the idea a plot to discredit the monarchy and to insult the Queen. The same trouble occurred in ou er countries and in some instances the Royal portrait was forbidden. Ferdinand of Sicily allowed his portrait to be used only on condition that mail was franked with a frame design round the stamp which would not obliterate his head. Tulips and Surrealism Down in the Embankment Gardens, at present brilliant with masses of tulips, there is a great blossoming of quite another kind—the pictures of i the third Onen-Air Art Exhibition run by the London County Council. So far as the public is concerned, this is an opportunity really to sec artists at first hand. One I saw trying to look nonchalant in the background while awaiting an improbable sale (for his pictures were the most terrifying examples of surrealism I have yet seen) wore a red beard, a German Army-type ski cap. a bright blue shirt, a scarlet scarf, and green corduroy trousers held up by a wide yellow and purple check belt. There were many more almost as bad. Some of the pictures on display are high class, but many are puerile. Space ii allotted bv the council on the principle of “first come, first served.” and some of the exhibitors waited all night in pouring rain to make sure of their hanging room. Ballet in Four Theatres

Great interest in ballet continues in London. This week it is being presented in four theatres, including the huge Coliseum. At the Opera House, the Sadler’s Wells Company has made news by the first performance of “Ballabile.” a provocative new ballet by Roland Petit to the music of Chabrier. It is largely a skit on classical ballet, and once again the New Zealand dancer. Alexander Grant, comes in for high praise. has the genius of comedy about him and is outstanding among the excellent small cast.” wrote the critic of the “Observer.” Film of School Classic "When the boys of Rugby, the famous English public school, go home for their holidays next month the school is to be thrown open to cameramen and actors who are making a film of Tom Hughes’s immortal story. "Tom Brown’s Schooldays.” The film i® being made with the full co-operation of the staff, and the script has already been approved by the headmaster. Tom Brown is to be played by John Howard Davies, who was outstanding in “Oliver Twist." To make sure that j he gets the right atmosphere, he is I going to school at Rugby for some weeks before shooting begins. The actors for the difficult parts of Dr. Arnold, the great headmaster, and Flashman, the bully, have not yet been chosen.