The Evening Star FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1947. Minister in Moscow.

Evening Star, Issue 26138, 27 June 1947, Page 4

The Evening Star FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1947. Minister in Moscow.

“ The things I do for England,” exclaimed Henry the Eighth (film vorsion) in a memorable line on his marriage to the unattractive Anne of Clevcs. The line comes to mind in contemplation of the sacrifice made by Mr Boswell in remaining wedded to his job as New Zealand Minister in Moscow. In an article published yesterday Reuter’s correspondent painted rather a pathetic picture of Mr Boswell presiding over a staff of three secretaries in a, legation situated ip “a modest prerevolutionary building, showing signs of genteel decay.” Mr Boswell has endured the rigors of the Russian climate for almost three years now. For nearly two years he had to live in a, hotel. The legation in which he lias worked, lived and slept for the past year does not leave him much room for entertaining. Having no nationals to care for and virtually no trade to foster, his duties are related mainly to cultural and scientific matters.

It all sounds slightly Ruritanian. But at least New Zealand is fortunate in the powers of endurance of its representative. Australia has had rather less luck. Its first Minister, Mr Slater, unable to stand the Russian climate, returned in a year or so to resume the place he had never resigned in ‘the Victorian Legislative Assembly. second Minister, Mr Moloney, also topic the precaution not to resign his seat in the New South Wales Legislative Council. After a brief stay in Russia he returned to Australia to report to his Government. After a decent interval he went back to Russia, but he returned to Australia for good last year. And so a third Minister If ad to be appointed. It is probably diplomatically wise, if not absolutely diplomatically necessary, for Australia and New Zealand to maintain direct contact with Russia, which has returned the diplomatic compliment. But one cannot help feeling that the question of continuing the post is one that should be kept under close , review, especially if Mr Boswell’s duties show no sign of becoming more profitable.

Russia, too, 6eems to have some <Joubt about the necessity for maintaining its r representation here. , s It is announced to-day that the first Russian Minister to New Zealand, M. Ivan Ziabkin, after eighteen months in the Dominion, will leave next month on his return to Moscow. As the Minister is being accompanied by his wife and he has said he does not know what his future post will be, the inference is that he will not be returning to New Zealand. The cost of establishing the New Zealand Legation in Moscow has been criticised several , times in Parliament in recent years. The estimated cost of the.legation was £29,000 in 1945, when the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, vigorously defended the expenditure. He said then that from the point of view of trade alone the appointment of the Minister to Moscow was “ a thousand times justified.” That was one of those extravagances of language, in which Mr Fraser sometimes indulges, which does not seem to have been justified by results —not, at least, by the Reuter report, which bluntly describes trade between tlie two countries as .beiug “ practically nil.”