FRANCE AND NEW ZEALAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 July 1945, Page 8

FRANCE AND NEW ZEALAND

MINISTER APPOINTED. WELLINGTON, July 24. The decision of the Provisional Government of France to establish a legation in New Zealand, and the appointment of M. Felix Alexis Armand Gazel as the first envoy extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of France in New Zealand were announced to-day by Mr. Fraser, as Minister of External Affairs. “The New Zealand Government welcomes the action of the French Government in opening up diplomatic relations with New Zealand in view of the community of interests which bring the two countries together in the Pacific, and in token of the brotherhood in arms which has united French and New Zealand troops on the battlefield in Libya and Tunisia,” said Mr. Fraser. “I am confident that the strengthening of the already close relations between France and New Zealand will contribute to that general growth of international security and that spirit of mutual confidence which it is New Zealand’s policy as a member of the British Commonwealth and in her own place to promote.” Mr. Fraser added that for practical reasons the New Zealand Government was not at present able to accept the invitation of the French Provisional Government to establish a New Zealand legation in Paris. Arrangements would in the meantime be continued for the British Government’s Embassy in Paris to act for New Zealand in France for the transmission of communications from the Government of New Zealand. CALL ON Mfe JORDAN (N.Z.I’.A. Special Correspondent) LONDON, July 23. France has appointed her first Minister to New Zealand. He is Monsieur Armand Gaze], and it is expected that he will take up his duties in Wellington about the middle of October. M. Gazel, who is at present in London, where he called on the New Zealand .High Commissioner (Mr W. J. Jordan), said that his work would cover every phase of relations between the two’ countries. “I hope,’ he said, “to make official bonds as tight and sympathetic as our unofficial relations already are.” France, he added, was particularly interested in New Zealand, because she hoped to re-establish direct import of wool from the Dominion. Although a limited supply had been received through the Wool Controller, the textile industries were working' very slowly because of the wool shortage. France, also, was directly interested in the Pacific, where her possessions include the New Hebrides. New Caledonia, and the Society Islands. It was hoped that trade would be established between these islands and the Dominion, and ultimately between Indo-China and New Zealand. M. Gazel intends to travel to New Zealand, via the United States, the Society Islands, and New Caledonia, calling on the Governors in the islands. . J _ T He will be accompanied to New Zealand by his wife and possibly by his 20-year-old son. He has a married daughter, who is in Tangier. He will also bring a. diplomatic secretary and an attache —-a commercial attache — while an air attache and a Press attache will'probably be appointed later. He will also be accompanied by private secretaries and two personal servants.

OUTLINE OF CAREER M. Gazel has had a distinguished career. He was educated in England at a private school, then at St. Edward’s School, at Oxford. He completed his education in France and served in the French artillery during most-of the 1914-18 war. In 1917 he was sent to Russia with a French military mission, and saw the start of the Bolshevik revolution, Returning to the Western Front, he saw the end of the war with a French unit attached to the American Army. At the'end of hostilities he entered the Diplomatic Service. His first post was as a French attache at Budapest. Next he went to Madrid as First Secretary. Later he was at Brussels, Madrid, and Berne, as Counsellor. He was fit Berne in 1939, but resigned from the service of the Vichy regime in ■ 1942, wlren the Germans occupied all France. He attempted to return to France, but in Paris the Germans confiscated his papers and passport had told him to hold himself at their disposal. But M. Gazel returned to Switzerland, slipping under the 'barbed wire, and remained there without his papers until France was liberated, living in Geneva. He returned to Paris last October. In addition to the posts be held in various parts of Europe before the wai, M. Gazel served twice in the Economic Department of the French Foreign Office. He was also a member of the French delegation which attended the Five-Power Naval Conference in London in 1932, and of the French delegation to the World Economic Conference in 1933. In 1930 he was one of his country’s representatives at the Reparations Conference at The Hague.