FROM THE ARGENTINE

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 163, 28 March 1923, Page 5

FROM THE ARGENTINE

NEW CONSUL-GENERAL FOR WELLINGTON A GREAT POWER IN THE MAKING

It is nqt very often that foreign countries honour New’ Zealand with a Consul-General. The usual practice is rather to appoint a vice-consul or consular agent, who is subject to the rulings of a consul-general resident either in Sydney or in Melbourne. Until quite recently the Argentine Republic has been content with a viceconsul (Mr. E. S. Baldwin), who has had to work under considerable difficulties owing to the fact that practically everything has had to be submitted to the Consul-General in Melbourne. Now the Republic has sent Senor Umbato Bidone, late Consul- | General at' Rome for four years, and | art author of some eminence in his own country. Senor Bidone is an Argentine of Italian ancestry, whose Knowledge of English is at present somewhat limited, though flt is improving every day. Through’ the medium of Mr. E. S. Baldwin, who has some knowledge of Spanish, a Dominion representative was able to gather that Senor Bidone has written several books' which have made him pretty well known in the Argentine. Four years ago he was appointed Consul to Rome, and diiri ing thab time he sent 7000 Italian immigrants to the Argentine, the Government paring all railway and steamer fares. Under a big scheme the Argentine was setting aside some 7,000,000 hectares of land in small farms for agricultural and pastoral development. For these farms the Government charged’ a small .monthly rental, but after five or six years the farms became, by reason of the rentals paid, the property of tho farmers. It was this fine scheme which was inducing so many Italian agriculturists to immigrate. Roughly speaking, the population of the Argentine was composed of 2,000,000 Italians or descendants of Italians, 1,500,000 Spaniards and descendants of Spaniards, about half a million English, and 14,000 French, so that a fairly heterogenous people were buSy nation-making in Soiith America. At the'present rate of increase, naturally and by immigration, another quarter of a century was destined to.see the Argentine one oft the big Powers of the world. In order to assist the Government and tho new settlers, the services o f Professor Strampali, of Italy, had been obtained for a thorough examination of the whole of the country (divided, roughly, into seven districts for the purpose), with a view of advising the cereals which could with the greatest advantage be grown in each district. At a later date Mr. Griinstone, who speaks Spanish fluently, will come from’Australia, and, through him. Senor Bidone will endeavour to interest business ’men here in the subject of trade between New Zealand and the Argentine. Senora Bidone is a of great charm and culture. Her daughter, who is already attending school, promises to outstrip her parents in the study of English. The new Consul-General for the Argentine was a guest at the Rbtqry Club’s luncheon yesterday. In introducing Senor Bidone, /Mr. E. S. Baldwin dwelt upon the honour the Argentine Republic was doing Wellington in appointing a Consul-General. Hitherto the only Consuls-General known to Near Zealand had been the representatives of the United States, andformerly, of France. Tlie consular business had mt been on the most satisfactory footing, as everything had tb bo refen cd to Australia. Now everything was to be properly done; there would be no delays or difficulties in shipping rams or stock or fruit to the Argentine, and no difficulty in legalising documents. He stated that Senor Bidone was an author of no mean repute, and later would be heard speaking on trade relations between the two countries. The Consul-General camo from a country winch in a large measure was a competitor with New Zealand. The Argentine beat this country in beef, said -Mr. Baldwin, but there were mqny other commodities New Zealand could export to the Argentine. Thousands of cases of apples were being .sent by every steamer, and there were other lines, including stud sheep, which were always in demand. .

Senor Bidone thanked the member o of the club for ths reception accorded him, and expressed a hope that he would meet them at a luncheon bo would give, when he proposed to speak at length on trade between New Zealand and the Argentine.