Report From The Capital— New Zealand’s Overseas Representatives

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 January 1948, Page 2

Report From The Capital— New Zealand’s Overseas Representatives

(SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT)

WELLINGTON, This Day. When the New Zealand Minister to Washington, Sir Carl Berendsen, arrives in Auckland on Tuesday, he will make the second of the Dominion’s three overseas Ministers to have come home on furlough at the same time. The Minister to Moscow, the silent Mr C. W. Boswell, already is in New Zealand on leave, and thus only the Minister to Canberra, Mr J. C. Barclay, remains overseas. The movements of these senior members of the New Zealand diplomatic corps naturally have given rise to all sorts of rumours. Among these is that New Zealand does not intend to its representation in the Soviet Union and that Sir Carl Berendsen will be replaced by a younger man. Your correspondent has made exhaustive inquiries in high circles in Wellington, and is in a position io categorically deny both these suggestions.

Apparently the Government kpows as much as anyone else about the future of the Soviet legation in Wellington. Evei' since the Russian Ministerd, Mr Ziabkin, was recalled to Moscow last October, the embassy here has maintained an unshakeable silence. It is clear, however, that when Mr Boswell completes his three months’ furlough at the end of February it is the present intention of the Government that he should return to Moscow. Sil' Carl Berendsen completed his 40 years’ superannuation in the civil service about two.years ago, but he is still several years off the retiring age of 60. His visit tp New Zealand is nothing more than a combination of business and. pleasure, and after about three months he, too, will recturn to the United States. Senior officials in-the Government always have held the view that overseas representatives should return to New Zealand at least once every three years. The war upset these plans, but since its end there has been a procession of the few overseas diplomats which New Zealand possesses. In addition to Sir Carl and Mr Boswell, a recent visitor has been the High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, Mr W. J. Jordan. Sir Carl has spent little time in Washington recently, for most of his tasks have devolved around N ew York, the headquarters of the United Nations. Sir Carl is chairman of the Trusteeship Council, and the main reason the Government wants to see him in Wellington is to discuss United Nations affairs, particularly the “Little Assembly.” The term of Mr Barclay in Australia was extended for another three years last year, so that 1948 should not see any changes in important overseas posts. Nevertheless, most of the Dominion’s senior representatives overseas are close to retirement, and the time is not far distant when some important changes will be made. , . , , .. This forecast does not include the possibility of New Zealand deciding to appoint Ministers to either France, the Netherlands or Belgium, all of whom maintain legations in Wellington Such appointments, or even the appointment of one Minister to serve the entire continent of Europe, excluding Russia, seem to be far from the mind of the Government at present. It was explained to me that there was no valid reason to maintain these costly overseas posts. New Zeaalnd was to small to warrant the establishment of purely diplomatic missions, unless they were backed by the possibility of expanding trade. Unfortunately for budding diplomats, New Zealand sells practically all her exports to Britain under bulk purchase agreements. Under The Table

Reference in the cablegrams from London this week to the impending visit to New Zealand of Mr Albert Edwards, a British member of Parliament, who said that he hoped to see Mr Nash again—the last time being when they both shared a billiard table as a shelter in the blitz—recalls an incident that happened in February, 1944. Mr Nash, at the end of a busy day in his temporary office in Whitehall, had joined one or two friends in a visit to the Royal Automobile Club’s billiard room. The game had progressed very

pleasantly, even although the air raid alarm had sounded and the guns were booming, when suddenly there was a heavy thud and the roar of an explosion nearby, followed almost immediately by another, With the second explosion one wall of the billiard room was blown in. As the building rocked with the explosion, all dived under the heavy tables. A minute or two later they crawled out from under and in the dark started calling to each other to make certain no one was missing. All were safe. Then, a small light flared up. The billiard marker-cum-steward had produced an electric torch. “This way, gentlemen,” he said, guiding them to the doorway, and then as they passed through: “Oh, Mr Nash, you owe me for the game.” Mr Nash regards this as one of the best of his blitz stories, and has often quoted it to pressmen as a prize example of the courage of the Londoner and the perfect evidence of the imperturbability of the British under strain. c 1935 Threepences

If you have a 1935 threepence, take it posthaste to the nearest numismatist —coin collector, in other words. —for they are worth many times their face value. The fact is that so few threepences were minted in 1935 that the coin is a rarity and enjoys a ready market. I approached two bank tellers in Wellington on this subject. Both had heard the story of the 1935 threepence, but neither had ever seen one among the piles they handle daily. Both had searched on many occasions without luck. I was beginning to doubt the existence of the 1935 threepence when the 11-year-old daughter of a friend of mine, with typical zeal, unearthed one from the local store. Like the true art lover that she is, the girl has decided to add it to her collection. How 11l Is Mr Fraser?

Occupants of Parliament Buildings, Cabinet Ministers among them, are querying the wisdom of the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in undertaking a trip to Dunedin this week-end for a festival for the 188th birthday of Robert Burns.

Since his fortnight in hospital over Christmas, Mr Fraser has been convalescing at home. During this week he has only visited Parliament Buildings for a few hours each day. He has chosen the hard way to get to Dunedin, and intends to go by ferry steamer to Christchurch and then motor to Dunedin and return. It is understood that his doctors have authorised this trip, but others are shaking their heads. That New r Car

Nothing has shaken motor firms so greatly for many a long year aS the Government announcement this week that only 6070 new cars will be imported this year. Without delving into figures, suffice it to say that something nearer 18,000 cars iwere brought in in 1947. The thousands of motorists on waiting lists for new cars will testify as to how far this drop in the bucket will go. It looks as if cars will be short for some time yet, and a major battle between the industry and the Government can be expected in the next month.