Mr Nash Leaves Auckland For Eight Days In Japan

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28824, 19 February 1959, Page 14

Mr Nash Leaves Auckland For Eight Days In Japan

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, February 18.

There was plenty of room for expanding trade with Japan, but it must be achieved without interfering with New Zealand's manufacturing industries, said. . the Prime Minister (Mr Nash) before he left Auckland by air this morning for Japan, Mr Nash said the purpose of his visit was to return the goodwill gesture of the Japanese Prime Minister (Mr Kishi) who visited New Zealand at the end of 1957. “I want particularly to discuss the trade agreement we have with Japan and see what it implies; and make sure that it does not affect any proposals we have for our own manufacturing expansion,” said Mr Nash. “Japan is a highly industrialised country, and a trade agreement with her can be beneficial to both our countries as long as we watch our manufacturers’ interests.”

Mr Nash said present-day Japan had shown she was just as concerned as New Zealand to promote peace and understanding in the Pacific and to preserve .the free and democratic way of life. Both countries valued the friendly relations that had developed between them and he would do all he could by his visit to encourage that spirit of goodwill and co-operation as well as seeing something of Japan’s industrial potential.

Mr ijrash will spend eight days

in, Japan, arriving back in New . Zealand on March 1. He is accompanied on his ’ trip by the Secretary of the Ex- • ternal Affairs Department (Mr • A. D. Mclntosh),. and the Prime . Minister’s private secretary (Mr ; R. B. Taylor). Mr Nash left Wellington at 1 5.45 am. today by Royal New Zealand Air Force Dakota for ■ Whenuapai. ‘‘l got home only at 2.15 a.m. . and I had an hour’s less sleep , than usual, but that’s plenty of I sleep for me,” he said. He "signed every- document that . need signing,” before leaving, , finishing the last three in the ; aircraft from Wellington, and , completed reading an official re- , port while he was waiting for the ; Tasman Empire Airways plane at Whenuapai. 1 Asked if he has any work to t do on the Tasman flight, he , pointed to three bulging cases. k “I’ve got three bags full, but none for the master or the maid,” , he said. When Mr Nash reaches Tokyo . late tomorrow afternoon he will i be accorded full honours as a , State guest. He will make formal calls on the Prime Minister and 1 after an audience with Emperor ; Hirohito will lunch with the , Emperor and Empress on Friday. : He plans to receive New Zea- ■ land residents at a morning tea . reception at • the New Zealand I Embassy in Tokyo on Saturday.