Colombo Plan Officials Begin Fortnight’s Talks

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28130, 20 November 1956, Page 9

Colombo Plan Officials Begin Fortnight’s Talks

(Neu’ Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON. November 19. About 80 officials, comprising the leaders and delegations from 21 countries who will participate in the next fortnight's deliberations before the opening of the Colombo Plan Ministerial conference, were welcomed by the Acting-Minister of External Affairs (Mr R. M. Algic) this morning in the old Legislative Council Chamber. Mr Algie, in the absence of the Minister of External Affairs (Mr T. L. Macdonald), who is in New York attending the General Assembly of the United Nations, conveyed the latter’s greetings to the officials, and he also brought a message of welcome from the Prime Minister (Mr Holland!, and the members of the Cabinet. The officials were seated around a horseshoe table at the head of which rose a large illustrated map of the Colombo Plan area. This was flanked by the flags of the nations participating in the conference.

Mr M. J. Moriarty, leader of the New Zealand delegation to the officials’ conference, was elected chairman on the proposal of India, Canada, and Indonesia.

Offering the delegations an unconditional welcome. Mr Algie said the offer came from the hearts of the New Zealand people. “Looking over history,” he said. ‘‘l would think there are few countries which have steadily set out to build up what might be called colonial possessions with the fixed objective, dim sometimes but clear on other occasions, of the preparation of the people of the colonial dominions or possessions for a time when they would look after and govern themselves.”

Mr Algie said that New Zealand today stood on its own feet as the master of its own destiny.

‘‘Your own objective in your own lands is much the same,” he continued. “You are anxious to manage your own affairs in your own . way, untramelled ’or unhampered by external causes, and we are here to wish you good luck.

Raising of Living Standard “You are doing something else that is valuable in trying to catch up: you want to raise the standard of living in your own communities to a point that is as near as you can make it to our own. I hope while you are here you will have an opportunity of seeing the standard of living that has been evolved by toil, effort, and sacrifice for our own people. You arc trying to do in a generation or tw<> what has taken the West many centuries of toil, effort, disappointment, and struggle to achieve, and we are here to help you in that effort “We do it because we are proud of our inheritance, and we know that our inheritance is conditional on our being able to extend to others what we have enjoyed ourselves,” said Mr Algie. Mr Algie said the spirit that dominated the conference could be found in the writings of an eminent Russian

philosopher. Berdyaev, who wrote: "I am not rich so long as one is poor. I am not free so long as one is in bondage.”

"Those of us who are fortunate are here to assist those who are not quite so fortunate.” continued Mr Algie. "Those of us who are supremely and splendidly free know that there is no true peace in the world so long as there are wide differences in standards of living.”

Philippines Delegate Replies Replying to the Minister’s welcome. Congressman Godefrado Ramos, leader of the Philippines delegation, said that the election of the leader of the New Zealand delegation to the highest position within the gift of the conference to confer was a fitting tribute to the Keople of New Zealand. New Zealand, e said, had made a contribution to the war which was equalled only by her effective collaboration through the Colombo Plan and other agencies in peace

The world today was tense with fear, continued Mr Ramos, but it was significant that the peoples of South and South-east Asia were now meeting in New Zealand in a peaceful conference.

He said he had been deeply impressed by the beauty of the country and the friendship and hospitality of its people. "‘I would say you belong to a great people,” he continued. "But we in the Philippines have a long way to go. There are a great many things to be done there. l am aware that since 1950 the Colombo Plan has made great gains and strides along the lines of economic and social development, thanks to the assistance of the great nations contributing to this effort. "The Philippines is a young country, but we find consolation and encouragement in the fact that by our membership of this conference as well as of this plan we hope to achieve the good things that other nations have.”

The meeting then adjourned briefly and later went into closed session. The closed sessions will continue until November 30.

After these meetings will be held the conference of Ministers who compose the Consultative Committee. They will meet from December 4 to December

Today the officials considered their programme of work, and the main task of the meeting is to prepare in draft form a report on the economic proeress made by member countries in South and South-east Asia during the preceding year. The report will provide the background against which the Ministers will assess the effectiveness of the Colombo Plan aid and consider its future working.