THE PRESS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1978. President School in N.Z.

Press, 19 October 1978, Page 12

THE PRESS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1978. President School in N.Z.

• In the distinguished presence of His Excellency Walter Scheel, President of the Federal Republic of Germany.” reads our advertisement this morning for a special concert in the Christchurch Town Hall tonight by the New’ Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Appropriately, the principal work to be performed is by one of the great German composers. Robert Alexander Schumann: the programme opens with a work by a New Zealand composer, Douglas Lilburn.

Mr Scheel’s visit to New Zealand will include more than concerts. That the most influential member of the European Economic Community should have its President make the long journey to New Zealand indicates the importance which the Federal Republic now attaches to its relationships with South Pacific countries. The higher interest in New Zealand stems from German concern at Russian influence in the Pacific, particularly since the spread of 200-mile fishing zones.

In 1976 the Federal Republic renewed a treaty of friendship with Tonga, to mark the centenary of the first treaty. Since then, Germany has stepped up its economic aid to Tonga and to Western Samoa, which was formerly part of German Samoa. West Germany now consults New Zealand on aid to the South Pacific.

Even before the threat of the extension of Russian influence in the South Pacific, West Germany’ had shown more sympathy for New Zealand’s interests than any of the other original members of the European Economic Community. Always uncomfortable in E.E.C. circles when confronted with French demands for high protection for farming, the Federal Republic can usually be relied on to point out the high costs to consumers and taxpayers of excessive protection.

Now that British farmers are producing for a protected E.E.C. market it is not unlikely that New Zealand will find Germany rather than Britain defending this country’s rights of access to the E.E.C. market for such products as lamb and cheese.

President Scheel’s visit may provide the opportunity to conclude arrangements for a German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce, or a New Zealand branch of the German-Australian Chamber of Commerce which opened last year

The President’s visit may also further negotiations for a major joint venture into deep-sea fishing. Commercial details have already been agreed between the parties and the Federal Government has given its blessing. Approval by the New Zealand Government has yet to be announced. The party accompanying the President is indicative of the importance of the visit and of the special interests of the German visitors. Dr Otto Count Lambsdorff, Federal Minister of Economics, and Dr Paul Frank, head of the President’s Office, will be here. Dr Peter Hermes, State Secretary in the Federal Foreign Office, Mr Heinz Vetter, chairman of the German Trade Union Federation, Konstantin Baron von Heerman, chairman of the German Farmers’ Federation, and Dr Guenther Sohl, vicepresident of the German Federation of Industries, show by their presence the range of attention that the visitors are prepared to give on their tour.

The brief tour of New Zealand includes occasions on which the visitors will meet not just the New Zealand Government but people who are directly concerned with our industries, our foreign relations, our culture, Maori and European.

From day to day New Zealanders are not very conscious of the extent of relations between this country and the Federal Republic. Yet many relationships are of long standing. They may be said to have begun with the 1773 expedition to the Pacific by James Cook; two German scientists with the expedition landed on New Zealand soil. Our universities and more than half our secondary schools teach the German language and scholarships enable New Zealand students to study in Germany. The exchange of music, musicians, and films, and the presence of Goethe Societies in several New Zealand cities are evidence of a continuing cultural relationship which has long been reinforced by German interest in the arts and crafts of Polynesia. An agreement on scientific and technological co-opera-tion was signed two years ago and since then co-operation has concentrated on marine, agricultural, and fisheries research. It may be confidently hoped that the results of President Scheel’s visit will be of further benefit to New’ Zealand and no less significance in Germany.