Vital Questions At Colombo Talks Will Interest N.Z.

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 December 1949, Page 5

Vital Questions At Colombo Talks Will Interest N.Z.

. WELLINGTON, This Day (0.C.).— Two major questions in which New Zealand will hav.e a particularly vital interest at the 'forthcoming, conference of Commonwealth Ministers in Colombo will be the framing and signing of a peace treaty with Japan, and the question of recognition of the new Communist regime in China.

Today the Minister of External Affairs, Mr -F. W. Doidge, was busy conferring with officers of his department in preparation for the conference. This afternoon he will have further discussions with other heads of departments, and with members of the delegation who will be panying hiin to Colombo. ... Mr Doidge indicated that he would outline at these talks, the issues to be faced at Colombo, s and for that reason he could not as yet make any public announcement as to the line which New Zealand would follow. It is also expected that the question of joint measures of Commonwealth Pacific defence will be discussed by the New Zealand delegation with the Canadian and Australian representa-

tives.. and possibly others at the conference, and there is no doubt that this aspect of. this question is receiving consideration by the Minister. The Prime Minister, Mr S. G._ Holland, has already indicated that Mr Doidge will not take any decisions at the conference on behalf of New Zealand until he has consulted the Government. x - The intended presence at Colombo of trade' and financial delegates from the main participating countries has indicated the weight which is being attached to the commercial discussions aimed at increasing trade among