MR NASH RETURNS FROM ASIA

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28552, 3 April 1958, Page 14

MR NASH RETURNS FROM ASIA

Five Weeks’ Tour Was "Most Profitable” (hew ZeoUnl Prexx Asxociaxum? AUCKLAND, April 2. Tired but full of enthusiasm after a five weeks’ tour of South-east Asia, the Prime Minister (Mr Nash) arrived in Auckland this evening by air from Sydney. “Never have I spent a more profitable five weeks,” he said. “We are succeeding in giving the Asian people a better understanding of us—and I think us of them.” Mr Nash said he had kept a heavy programme of meetings with heads of State in Australia, Malaya, India, Pakistan, and Ceylon, and as well kept in constant touch with affairs in New Zealand.

The T-EAL plane bringing Mr Kash landed a Jew minutes before 5 pm. On tte tarmac to greet him were the Acting-Pnme Mia ister Mr Skinner; and his wife, the Minister of Labour ‘Mr Hackett > and the Minister of Internal Affairs 'Mr Anderton'.

Mr Nash sat patiently in the aircraft while he and the other occupants were sprayed by an official cf the Department of Agriculture, and then he hurried down the steps, paused for a moment for photographers, and greeted his colleagues.

Within a few minutes he and Mr Skinner were discussing Mr Skinner’s mission to London tomorrow to fight for a better position tor New Zealand in the dairy market. Asian Living Conditions The problems of improving living conditions in South-east Asia had obviously impressed Mr Nash "We have got to get rid of • hunger. That is the basic problem.’ he said. •‘That is why we are giving them aid. It means giving them the wherewithal to produce more food for themselves Then once that is done, we can talk about trade.* Mr Nash suggested that ’’aid. and then trade" was one of the solutions in South-east Asia "But both trade and aid are imperative,” he said. "They need all the aid we can give them under the Colombo Plan. But I believe aid should be exclusively confined to improving their productivity and their standard of living. Nothing is more important than preventing hunger. And because of us these people are healthier. Mr Nash was asked whether he had made plans for firm trade arrangements during his tour. “No. I didn’t,” he said. I certainly had trade discussions in Hong Kong, and I will be talking to my colleagues about this. Trade with Australia “There is the friendliest of feeling in Australia between Mr Menzies and myself. But we cannot do much about discussing trade with them until Mr Skinner has been to London. “I don't want to comment upon the decisions of the previous government. but I do not think its trade arrangement with Australia has been beneficial to New Zealand I think we car do better than that” Asked whether New Zealand membership of S.E.A.T.O. was harming her relations with noncommitted countries in South-east Asia. Mr Nash replied: “Not in the slightest degree that I saw Malaya. India, and Ceylon are not members But there could not be greater friendliness there towards us. Personally, 1 think they should come in, but they have their good reasons why they do not”

Mr Nash said there did not seem to be any prospects of new memters of S.E.A.T.O. in the near future, but he had seen no evidence that S.E.A.T.O. had divided countries in South-east Asia.

Mr Nash was asked to define the attitude of New Zealand and S E.A.T.O. to Communist intervention in Indonesia. He replied: “The crisis in Indonesia is, at the moment, a domestic one. S E.A.T.O nations are bound to protect each other if they are attacked by any country. Some fine lines can be drawn here, of course—the Communists in Malaya for instance. We are helping in Malaya because we have been asked to do so. We are not attacking communism a political philosophy. We ’ are preventing terrorism there.”

Mr Nash added that there had been no change in the defence commitments of SE-A.T.O. and A N.Z.U.S. concerning the provision of forces in Malaya. Mr Nehru’s Visit

Mr Nehru, the Prime Minister of India, would come to New Zealand, said Mr Nash. “He wants to come, and he will come," he said. “But I cannot tell you jus: when. I reiterated the invitation g.ven to him by Mr Fraser and Mi Holland." Mr Nash said he had no specific proposals for Parliament on tne recognition of Communist China, or that country's admittance to the United Nations. “I, and my colleagues, have said that we think the mainland Government is the true Government of China." he said. “I have n r specific proposals. but we will be examining completely the implications. “I have not changed my mind that the mainland Government should be recognised as the Government, but we want to discuss every angle before we take action.” Mr Nash said he was satisfied New Zealand should have representation in India, and he wou.d make recommendations to the Government about that. He thought, too, that New Zealand would have to consider representation in all other South-East Asian countries.

“Mr Nehru." he said, "is doing a wonderful job India is winning the battle of increased production. It is a country that is beginning to live.” Mr Nash spoke of a milk factory he had seen where the main pioduct is buffalo milk. “Do you

MR SKINNER’S

Comment On Soviet Atom Test Ban

[know,” he «a:d. “that milk costs Is a pint—and that in a district where the weekly wage of hundreds of thousands is 5s a week Seen they will be mixing that 'milk with New Zealand milk powder—and the price will come down to 3d a pint. Just think what that means to the people there. “Bicycle Age’’ “Everywhere you see people riding bicycles. You know, that is one s.gn of an increased standard of living. They are progressing from the pedestrian age to the bicycle age.” As Mr Nash talked of his tour hd looked weary from long hours, of flying and longer hours of conferences. But his voice was eager. He was eager, too, to ge: back to Wellington. When to;d the Royal New Zealand Air Force had an aircraft waiting if he d.d not want, to spend tne night in Auckland, he said: “Well, let’s take it." Within an hour he and ini* party had left for Paraparaumu.

MISSION Mr Nash’s Comment (New Zecuxnc Prew Association? AUCKLAND. April 2. “Mr Skinner is going to London to try to adjust an obviouslv unfair and unjust position,’” said the Prime Minister ■Mr Nash) when he discussed New Zealand’s falling British markets this evening. "We will have general trade talks for the future with the United Kingdom Government,’' the Prime Minister said. "I feel confident that if it is possible to get adjustments made to our British markets, Mr Skinner will gel them I know that Mr Macmillan is willing to talk reasonably with us.” Mr Skinner will leave tomorrow afternoon by Pan American aircraft for London. He and Mrs Skinner arrived in Auckland by air from Wellington this afternoon. Mrs Skinner will remain in New Zealand.

SYDNEY. April 2. The New Zealand Prime Minister ‘Mr Nash) has expressed pleasure over Russia’s announced willingness to end nuclear testing “It could be the basis of an agreement that no nation will test nuclear weapons again,” Mr Nash said.