MR. HOLLAND’S RETURN

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1943, Page 4

MR. HOLLAND’S RETURN

N.Z.-AUSTRALIAN RELATIONS

AUCKLAND, December 1. “Unless Australia and New Zealand collaborate on major issues affecting both countries, the position is fraught with disastrous consequences for both,” said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. S. G. Holland), m an interview on his return from Australia, where he has been on tour for the last month with Mr F. W. Doidge, MP “If I have learnt anything from the trip it is the absolute necessity for the closest collaboration and study of our mutual problems, said Mr. Holland. “Such exchanges of opinions should not be limited, merely to representatives of the governments, as the questions are of such immense moment to all people that they transcend party politics. From the Prime Minister down, everybody in Australia showed the keenest interest in New Zealand, and a desire to know more about this country, said Mr. Holland. Discussions with the highest authorities, which had opened virtually as courtesy talks, had expanded into long exchanges of opinions, when the Australians were anxious to ob-

tain his views on certain major issues. Discussions had taken place with the Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin, two former Prime Ministers, Mr. Menzies and Mr. Fadden, the Premiers of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, the former Labour Premier of Queensland, Mr. Forgan Smith, and with Mr. Beasley, Minister of Supply and Shipping, and Mr. Makin, Minister of Munitions and the Navy. Two important questions in Australia to-day, and they also vitally affected New Zealand, were post-war markets for the products of both countries, and the post-war _ pricelevel for those products, said Mr. Holland. There had been an amazing development in manufacturing industries in Australia, and it had recently been increased by the Government’s decision to make giant Lancaster bombers. In one Australian aircraft, factory he had visited the employees numbered more than • 8000, and already many hundreds of modern types of bombers had been produced. If New Zealand was faced with an emergency, those machines could come to the aid of the Dominion, which consequently should have the greatest interest in this new manufacturing industry. “If the development of these industries continues after the war, which appears to be the prospect, then the effect on Australia’s overseas trade will be considerable.

“What I have been saying for the past 12 months, that New Zealand cannot possibly maintain her present military commitments and increase production as requested at one time, is now generally accepted, and the position will have to be cleared one way or the other,” said Mr. Holland. Australia found herself in precisely the same position as was New Zealand to-day, and the Government there had already given instructions for the release of a very substantial number of men from the forces. “To my view, the manpower policy followed in New Zealand has such vital consequences that I am convinced that many members of Parliament, especially new members, are awaiting a very early opportunity of discussing it in Parliament. Any suggestion of undue delay in calling Parliament together is unthinkable.”

AVIATION’S IMPORTANCE. Emphasis on the need for a plan dealing with the “pre-war conglomeration of interests” in the Pacific to ensure the future safety of New Zealand and Australia was laid by Mr. Holland. “With the development of air transport, the importance of these widely scattered but strategically situated islands to the future safety of the Dominion and Australia must be patent to anyone,” he said.

Before the war, said Mr. Holland, the Solomons were under the Briv tish Colonial Office, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and Papua were under an Australian mandate, France administered French Oceania and Tahiti, Tonga was a semi-independent State, New Zealand controlled the Cook Islands and held a mandate over Western Samoa, Eastern Samoa belonged to the United States, Fiji was a Crown colony, the New Hebrides were controlled by a condominium, and Norfolk Island was an Australian possession. All these islands were outposts in the defence of Australia and New Zealand. The question of future control would also extend to the Micronesian Islands, in which were the Caroline and Marshall groups, former German possessions which had been held under mandate since the last war by Japan. “The part that commercial aviation will play in the future world, and the extent to which British interests will be represented in that field, are questions of first importance to Australia and New Zealand to-day,” said Mr. Holland. “There is intense interest in the future of the Pacific, for the advent of modern aviation has brought many important islands within one-flight distance of Australia and New Zealand. The prime question is' not only that of freedom of the air above theterritory of any country, but that of the use., in the post-war period, of landing ground constructed for war purposes. It is a question which calls for the closest attention.” His two trips.by air across the Tasman had demonstrated to him the possibilities of future air communications between Australia and New Zealand, said Mr. Holland. “I can envisage a two-trip service each day,, with the latest giant types of machines, as a very early development in the postwar period.”