MET POPE AT U.N.

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30884, 18 October 1965, Page 14

MET POPE AT U.N.

Mr Lake Given Message “Would you give my love to the people of New Zealand?” the Pope asked the New Zealand Minister of Finance (Mr Lake) when he met him at the United Nations. “It was a terrific experience,” said Mr Lake in Christchurch yesterday on his return from the United States, where he attended a meeting of the World Bank and spoke at the United Nations.

“When 1 was presented to him as the New Zealand Minister of Finance, he held me back to give me his message. He wouldn’t let my hand go.”

Mr Lake said he believed the Pope’s visit to the United Nations and the work of the Security Council in effecting a cease-fire between India and Pakistan had restored much confidence in the United Nations.

Mr Lake spent a week at the World Bank meeting, talked briefly with the British Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Callaghan), spoke to the assistant secretary of the United States Treasury, made New Zealand's speech at the United Nations, and stayed to hear speeches from other representatives.

In New York he also heard a group from the Christchurch Harmonic Society's choir sing at a music school. Mr Lake said be had returned in good health, in spite of a very busy programme. He had stood up very well to long jet flights His apparent illness on the flight to Fiji had been just a temporary oxygen shortage, but with his history of heart trouble he had been sent to hospital for an examination. Nothing was found to be wrong.