Nelson Meeting

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30277, 1 November 1963, Page 3

Nelson Meeting

Sir,—As one who was present at the meeting in Nelson where a refugee was reported to have gate-crashed to approach two vteiting Russian diplomats, I would lake to re-

mark that I did not notice any person attempting to contact the Russians in the way described in the press report Questions at this meeting were specifically titnited to the topic of the evening—expansion of trade —a ruling strictly adhered to by all questioners. The refugee’s request for a visa may have been made privately, but it has received tendentious publiaMy that will hardly be helpful. It may be part of the cold war that our image of things Russian shall not be sympathetic, but

misrepresentation of this kind is not very efficient and the New Zealand immigration restrictions are not exactly framed in a way that allows tile press to climb on a high moral horse to judge other nations. I WAS THERE. Nelson, October 31, 1963. [The Press Association report (page 12, “The Press,” October 25) did not state that the gatecrasher interrupted the meeting. The report in no way misrepresented what happened at the meeting. It purported to be an interview with the gate-crasher—-no more—Ed, “The Press.”]