MR. FRASER FIRED ON

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 116, 19 May 1941, Page 6

MR. FRASER FIRED ON

Air Trip Across Irak

Shortly after leaving Basra the R.A.F. plane, by which the Prime Minister of New Zealand (Mr. Fraser) was travelling to Cairo, was ineffectively shelled by antiaircraft fire from a small section of the insurgent forces of Rashid Ali, of Irak. Mr. Fraser had been advised from London that in view of the situation in Irak it would be advisable to proceed by the Bombay and Aden sea route and the arrangements had been made accordingly, reports the N.Z.E.F. Official News Service, but because of his anxiety to see the New Zealand soldiers in the Middle East, and ascertain for himself at the earliest possible moment the definite casualties in the Greek campaign, Mr. Fraser decided to adhere to the previous itinerary arranged.

State Government, and Messrs. Taylor and Malcolmson, New Zealand Government trade representatives in Australia, met Mr. Fraser on his arrival at Rose Bay, Sydney.

Mr. Fraser attended a meeting of Australia's War Cabinet in Sydney and participated in important discussions. He also had an interchange of views on munitions supply, shipping overseas, and inter-Dominion trade with Sir Earle Page and Senator McBride. At an official luncheon he met Mr. Spender, Senator Foil, Sir Frederick Stewart, Dr. Evatt, and Mr. Beasley (members of the War Council), and the Queensland Premier, Mr. Forgan Smith. On May 6, Mr. Forgan Smith flew to Brisbane with Mr. Fraser in a Qantas Empire Airways flying-boat. At Darwin Mr. Fraser was met by the Administrator,. Mr. L. Abbott, with whom he inspected the defences. "I was deeply impressed by the strengthening of Darwin's defences since my last visit in December, 1939," Mr. Fraser told a war correspondent. MET DUTCH MINISTERS. At Sourabaya. Mr. Fraser met the Dutch Ministers. Messrs. Van Klefifens and Welter, and had a long discussion with them. After flying by land plane to Batavia, he was the guest of the i Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies. The British Commander-in-Chief in the Far East, Air Chief Marshal S": j Robert Brooke-Popham, was Mr. Fraser's host at Singapore, where the Prime Minister was mostly occupied with the inspection of the naval base, (lying fields, and land defences that make Singapore Britain's main Pacific bulwark. Mr. Fraser discussed defence with Sir Robert and with Admiral Layton. In Bangkok, the ancient Thai capital. Mr. Fraser stayed a night with the British Minister, Sir Josiah Crosby. He was a guest at Government House in Calcutta.

Mr. F. R. Picot. New Zealand representative on the Eastern Group Supply Council, met Mr. Fraser at Calcutta, and accompanied him to Gwalior. Problems of supply and other matters concerning the war effort in the Far Eastern and south Pacific zones were discussed while Mr. Fraser-was at Karachi, where he was entertained by the Governor of Sind. Sir Hugh Dow

Mr. Fraser was advised fron. London that in view of the Irak situation. it would be advisable to proceed to Cairo by the Bombay and Aden sea route, and arrangements had been made accordingly, but through the cooperation of the Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow, Sir Miles Lampson, and the Middle East Command, he travelled by flying-boat to Basra, the Iraki port on the Persian Gulf, only just captured by the British from the insurgents.