Mr Sandys Arrives To Discuss Market

Press, Volume C, Issue 29555, 3 July 1961, Page 10

Mr Sandys Arrives To Discuss Market

(H.2. Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 2. The British Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations (Mr Duncan Sandys) said on his arrival in Wellington on Saturday that he had not come to New Zealand to “sell any plan or explain any decision that has already been taken,” “My purpose, quite frankly, is to have a heart-to-heart talk about a common problem,” he told reporters at Wellington airport. 7 f Recalling that his mother was bom in New Zealand, Mr Sandys said “I consider myself half a New Zealander, so you can rest assured I won’t fail to see the picture from New Zealand’s point of view.”

Mr Sandy* was met at the) airport by the Prime Minister i My Holyoake) and. Cabinet officials, and gave a short ; press®- conference minutes ; after Stepping from his plane j from Sydney, “When I return to London, the British Cabinet will dis- • cuss the question in the light j of view® put forward by all ( the Commonwealth coun- ( tries.” he said. “We realise the Common Market does not affect Bri- ( tain alone. Other countries ' are immensely important," ' said Mr Sandys. . "The purpose of my visit is 1 to have a 'heart-to-heart' talk to discuss a common ’ problem frankly and freely ‘ as members of a family. I 1 am sure the talks will be • fruitful,” he said. > Mr Sandys declined to reply to reporters’ questions. 1 He was accompanied by the ! Deputy Under-Secretary of 1 State for the Commonwealth < Relations Office (Sir Henry j Lintott), the Deputy Secre- 1 tary of the Agriculture, Fish- i eries and Food Ministrv (Mr i E. Roll), the Board of Trade Under-Secretary (Mr W. Hughes), his principal private , secretary (Mr F. Mills), an assistant secretary, and two ‘ shorthand typists. Private Talk < The Prime Minister (Mr 1 Holyoake) talked privately 1 with Mr Sandys for two hours and a half at the Prime Minister's home in Pipitea street I this afternoon. Mr Holyoake said tonight 1 that these talks were “preliminary” ones to work out I the procedure for discussions I at Mr Sandys’s meeting with . the Cabinet at noon tomor- ! row and with the Cabinet < Economic Committee Later ! tomorrow afternoon. < The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Over- f seas Trade (Mr Marshall) < joined the Prime Minister 1 and Mr Sandys for the latter ; part of their talks today. I There were no officials nr advisers at the meeting < which began just after 3 p.m. ‘ Mr Sandys conferred to- i night with the United Kingdom High Commissioner 1 (Sir Francis Cumming- 1 Bruce) and British officials i at the High Commissioner’s i residence. Mr Holyoake did not say 1 what questions were raised at today’s meeting. But he said Mr Sandys had repeated ( his earlier statements that < Britain had made no deci- i sion yet to start negotia- ( tions with the Common < Market countries. 1 New Zealand officials said 1 tonight they did not expect i any detailed discussion of policy matters at today’s 1 meeting between the Prime i Minister and Mr Sandys. < “Preliminary" Talks < In describing today's talks i as “preliminary” ones to s work out procedure for dis-1

cussion at later meetings with the Cabinet and the economic policy committee, Mr Holyoake made it clear that the responsibility for the presentation of New Zealand's case in the talks with Mr Sandys over the next few days rested on the Cabinet as a whole and not on the Prime Minister alone, according to New Zealand official sources.

Mr Holyoake said tonight that no decision had yet been made on whether Mr Sandys would address the House of Representatives next weetc The Prime Minister is understood to have discussed this with Mr Sandys at an informal dinner Sir Francis Cumming-Bruce gave last night

Mr Holyoake said tonight he did not know if Mi Sandys had decided to accept the Federation of Labour executive’s invitation to meet it while he is in Wellington British officials said they did not know if Mr Sandys woulc accept the invitation Arrival Mr Sandys arrived at Wellington airport at 8.40 p.m. on Saturday after hfs 8.0 A.C. Comet.' in which he flew from London, had been delayed four hours at Beirut through an engine fire warning. The Sydney - Wellington T.E.A.L. flight was delayed so Mr Sandys and officials with him could fly to Wellington last night. Mr Holyoake. the Minis ter of Labour (Mr Shand), the Secretary for External Affairs (Mr A. D. Mclntosh). Sir Francis Cumming-Bruce, and senior New Zealand and British officials met Mr Sandys at the airport. Smiling and relaxed, Mr Sandys. who is aged 53, sat on the end of a table as he talked to reporters in the airport V.I.P. reception lounge. At one stage he turned to officials behind him and said: “Be quiet please. I’m being recorded.” Mr Sandys described his talks with Mr Holyoake and the New Zealand Government as "immensely important.” He added: “I’m sure these talks will be fruitful.” No Decision Yet He said the British Government had made no decision yet about beginning negotiations to join the Common Market and would consider its policy in the light of the views of the Commonwealth Governments. “We realise very fully that this question of the Common Market does not concern Britain alone, but affects all Commonwealth countries perhaps none more than New Zealand.” he said Mr Sandys said the Com-

mon Market had "brought into being a situation none of us can ignore.” Mr Sandys then declined to answer reporters’ questions, “That’s as much as I want to say—it’s quite a mouthful.” he commented. Earlier. Mr Sandys told reporters: “You will understand, I atn sure, that neither now nor at the end of my visit will I be able to say much to the press.” Mr Sandys later drove to “Homewood," the United Kingdom High Commissioner’s residence where he is staying while he is in Wellington. Sir Henry Lintott i.s also staying with the High Commissioner. Mr Sandys will call on the Mayor of Wellington (Mr F. J. Kitts) tomorrow morning.