Some New Zealanders Heard From; Others Silent

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31767, 26 August 1968, Page 1

Some New Zealanders Heard From; Others Silent

Nothing has been heard from C zechoslovakia or Russia of the son and daughter-in-law of a Christchurch man. Mr R. F. Stokes, of New Brighton, said yesterday that the couple, Mr A. Stokes and his wife Marie, had been scheduled to enter Czechoslovakia from Russia about the time of the Russian invasion.

The couple may, however, still be in Russia. Mr Stokes said that the parents of Mrs Marie Stokes, Mr and Mrs J. Allan, of Runanga, had received a letter from the couple saying that they were staying in Russia a little longer than they had planned.

The two are teachers and have been working in London since early this year. They were visiting Europe and Scandinavia during the summer school holidays, and planned to enter Russia from

Finland on August 15, going on to Czechoslovakia after visiting Leningrad and Moscow.

The head of the modern languages department at the University of Canterbury, Professor R. T. Sussex, has received a cablegram saying his son Roland is safe in Wieden, West Germany. Mr Sussex, aged 22, was studying at the Charles University in Prague. ■ Mrs A. A. Croy, of Brookside, heard on Saturday that her daughter, Barbara, was safe in London. Miss Croy had been flying to Czechoslovakia at the time of the Russian invasion, and her aircraft was diverted to Warsaw.

She and Miss Patricia McIntyre, of Nelson, flew from there to Copenhagen, where Miss Croy sent a cablegram to her parents saying she was safe. She later flew to London, Mrs Croy said. Because of the diversions Miss Croy now had virtually no funds, and it seemed that little if any of the cost of her air ticket would be refunded, Mrs Croy said. If any refund was made it would take some months to come through, However, Miss Croy had friends in. London, and was possibly staying with them. In about 10 days she would fly to Canada, where she was to take up a fellowship at the University of Ontario. Mr B. W. Collins, the Commonwealth geological liaison officer with the Commonwealth Scientific Liaison Office in London, and Mrs Collins, are also believed to be in Czechoslovakia. Mr Collins, who is the brother of Mr C. W. Collins, the librarian of the University of Canterbury, was with other New Zealanders attending a two-week international geological conference in Prague. Mr Collins is seconded from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and left New Zealand for the London post last year. His other brother is Mr N. W. Collins, the chief engineer of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council in Wellington. SAFE IN VIENNA

Three other New Zealanders are now safe in Vienna, according to a Press Association message from Wellington.

Mrs Joan Kear, wife of Dr David Kear, director of the Geological Survey, received a telephone call from her husband in the early hours of Sunday morning to say that he, Professor R. M. Clark, professor of geology at Victoria University, and Profes-

sor D, S. Coombs, of Otago University, werp in Vienna and trying to make plane bookings for their return to New Zealand. The three men were among a group of five New Zealanders attending the two-week international geological conference being held in the Czech capital. Mrs Kear, who has seen her husband only once in the last five months, said last evening that she had not been too concerned about his safety, but had been, “very relieved to hear from him.” “He said that he had driven with his two companions to Vienna and that they had no trouble at all either leaving Prague or Czechoslovakia.” Mrs Kear, who has three teen-age children, two sons and a daughter, returned to Lower Hutt from a threemonth .visit to her family in England the day. before her husband left New Zealaild for a flve-week international tour, culminating in his attendance at the conference.