U.S. Attorney-General’s N.Z. visit under fire

Press, 27 April 1984, Page 21

U.S. Attorney-General’s N.Z. visit under fire

NZPA staff correspondent Washington The United States Attor-ney-General, William French Smith, will visit Australia and New Zealand soon even though he has resigned. The trip will cost American taxpayers thousands of dollars, and is expected to draw fire as a “junket for a lame-duck” official who has been criticised frequently in the past for what are seen as extravagent forays. Mr Smith, an urbane, grey-haired 66-year-old Californian lawyer, is reputed to be worth about SNZS.3 million. He is a member of President Regan’s “Kitchen cabinet,” and before Mr Reagan was elected he was his personal lawyer. As Attorney-General he has cracked down on organised crime and drugs and run into criticism over his actions on civil rights. After three years in the job he made it clear earlier this year that he was bored with Washington and wanted to resign to return to the Los Angeles law firm he helped build into the thirteenth biggest in the United States.

The Presidential counsellor, Edwin Meese, was nominated to replace Mr Smith, and with initial indications that the nomination would be little more than a formality, Mr Smith said he would leave as soon as the Senate hearings were completed. Since then, however,

murky questions have been raised about Mr Meese’s financial dealings and appointmennt to Government jobs of people who lent him money. Mr Smith has had to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the charges, and it looks now as though the nomination will be delayed for months — probably till after the presidential elections in November — unless Mr Meese withdraws to save Mr Reagan political embarrassment during the election campaign. Mr Smith first said that he would leave in April regardless, but after strong pressure from Mr Reagan he reluctantly agreed to stay on till a successor was appointed. Mr Smith has himself been criticised for participating in what is being called the White House “sleaze factor,” paying the Government $16,720 after a Senator discovered that his wife had been using his official limousine for private errands. He also returned a $76,000 severance payment from his firm and limited potential tax deductions on oil drilling deals. More criticism has come over his trips, including a round-the-world trip last year that cost the American taxpayers $1,038,000, and frequent first-class flights back to California. Last year’s trip, to investigate drug trafficking, was made on military aircraft.

Mr Smith leaves Washingtonn on Monday to attend annual celebrations in Australia marking the anniversary of the Coral Sea battle against Japan in 1942. The trip, by commercial aircraft, will take 12 days, and his wife, Jean, will fly with him — the White House has named the couple as official United States representatives at the celebrations. They will visit Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne before going on to Wellington on May 8 for a one-day stop-over.

The Australian Government will pay his hotel and internal travel costs, and in Wellington the Smiths will stay with the United States Ambassador, Mr Monroe Browne.

The visit has not yet been officially announced, and it has not been disclosed how many officials and secret

service agents will travel with the Smiths, but the round trip — first class — will cost approximately $9272 for each person, estimated a travel agent. The visit to Wellington — Mr Smith’s first — is des. cribed as a diplomatic courtesy stop.

He is due to meet the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, the deputy Prime Minister and the New Zealand Attorney General, Mr McLay, the Minister of Defence, Mr Thomson (as'acting Minister of Foreign Affairs), and the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Mr Palmer. The New Zealand Ambassador to Washington, Mr Lance AdamsSchneider, has welcomed the trip, saying he was sure notes would be taken of Mr Smith’s talks in Wellington to become part of the record in Washington.