VACANT POST IN U.S.

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28921, 15 June 1959, Page 12

VACANT POST IN U.S.

Effects Of Delay In Appointment

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 14. Sir Leslie Munro, former New Zealand Ambassador to the United States, flew into Auckland yesterday for a three-week visit highly critical of the Labour Government’s failure to appoint an Ambassador to Washington to replace him. “This omission is no compliment to the United States and reflects no esteem for the importance of our representation in that country,” he said. “It is a profund disservice to our influence and prestige in Washington, factors which I played some part in enhancing. “In the most critical time in the world’s history a charge d’ affaires cannot fill effectively for a period of nearly nine months the office of Ambassador. This is no reflection on the abilities ol Mr G. D. L. White, my former counsellor, who on the Government’s instructions moved into the Embassy residence with his family a few days after I vacated it—a somewhat unusual procedure which no doubt indicated that the Prime Minister was to be in no hurry to fill my office’’ Sir Leslie Munro said there was good reason to believe that Mr White’s occupancy would last until the next election “Our post in Washington, the leading capital of the free world, is, m my judgment, of equal importance with that in London.

But apparently * the Government believes this critical post can be adequately held by a charge d’ affaires whose normal rank is that of counsellor.” Sir Leslie Munro added that all other governments of the Commonwealth were assiduous in filling the post of ambassador with as short a delay as possible —generally with no delay. Apparently in this matter the New Zealand Government believed in diplomacy by procrastination. Sir Leslie Munro was welcomed by the Minister of Justice (Mr Mason), and Mr R. M. Algie M.P.