Way cleared for Ambassador

Press, 8 November 1984, Page 8

Way cleared for Ambassador

NZPA staff corrrespondent Washington New Zealand’s Ambassador to Washington, Sir Lancelot Adams-Schneider, left his post yesterday to clear the way for the Labour appointee, Sir Wallace Rowling. Sir Wallace, ironically, criticised the 1982 political

appointment of Sir Lancelot, a former National Cabinet Minister.

Then Leader of the Opposition, Sir Wallace said that New Zealand should send a career diplomat to Washington rather than a politician.

Labour believed it was a retrograde step to entrench

Silitical appointments in e post, he said, and a Labour Government would review it.

Sir Lancelot, in Britain on leave, will be dubbed by the Queen on November 15 and return to New Zealand on November 21 after final work in Los Angeles. Sir Wallace is not ex-

pected to arrive in Washington until the New Year, partly for technical reasons, such as the refurbishing of the residence. that is now going on. The intervening time gap, during which the embassy will be headed by the Minister, Mr John Wood, is regarded as a critical period.

No agreement has been reached on the question of port calls by nuclear-armed or nuclear-powered vessels, or the wider question of the A.N.Z.U.S. alliance. Sir Lancelot said that he hoped to brief Sir Wallace in Wellington, but would not presume to offer him advice.