UNIVERSAL DESIRE FOR PEACE NOTED BY U.S. VISITORS

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 April 1948, Page 2

UNIVERSAL DESIRE FOR PEACE NOTED BY U.S. VISITORS

(P A ) AUCKLAND, This Day. ‘‘Most of the people we saw in the 27 countries we have visited since January 13 did not regard war as inevitable —the desire for peace seemed to be universal, said Mr D. 1. Davis, public relations officer with a party of American businessmen on the Atlas Sky Merchant—’‘The F±ying Showroom”—to an interviewer. The plane leaves tomorrow morning for San Francisco on the last stage of a 45,000-mile flight embracing South America, Africa, Asia, the I ar East and Australia. Mr Davis added that everywhere there was vivid interest in the Marshall Plan to help nations to revive. People they met considered war would not come if the Allied Powers remained on guard and did not relax their efforts to find solutions for the present world problems. Both Mr Davis and Mr F. H. Bedford. the leader of the party, were delighted with Now Zealand and its people. Mr Bedford emphasised the need for free trade between New Zealand and the United States, which should be possible when the present crisis was surmounted and artificial restrictions were removed.

The Atlas Skymaster, throughout the 38,000 miles already covered, has not been behind schedule.