TRENCHANT ATTACK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22439, 20 September 1947, Page 6

TRENCHANT ATTACK

COST TO N.Z. OVERSEAS LEGATIONS PREMIER STRESSES NEED (P.R.) WELLINGTON. Sept. 19. Trenchant criticism by Mr. F. W. Doidge (Oppos., Tauranga) of the lack of information from the New Zealand Minister in Moscow, Mr. C. A. Boswell, and the amount of money voted for that Legation as well as those in Canberra and Ottawa, and a spirited reply by the Prime Minister, Mr. P. Fraser, marked the beginning of the discussion of tne Estimates in the House of Representatives today. A vote of £591,063 for external affairs, when £393,570 had been expended by that department last year, was a great deal of money for a small country, said Mr. Doidge. The cost vas growing alarmingly. With foreign affairs in the state ihat they were in today the need of “oil and adequate representation in Lon don and Washington was known. Sir Carl Berensden. in Washington, and Mr. W. J. Jordan, in London, were doing good jobs “Qualifications Lacking”

The appointees to Canberra. Ottawa and Moscow had no qualifications except that they weie defeated politicians. Mr, Doidge continued. Messrs. Barclay, Thorn and Boswell each re

ceived a salary of £ISOO and generous allowances, and the jobs they held were far too important to be handed out as “consolation prizes.” What did we get in return for the £16,000 spent on the Moscow Legation? he asked. Much information, of course, had to be confidential, but if that Legation had really supplied the Government with valuable reports dealing with many aspects of Soviet life and policy, as stated in the External Affairs Department’s report, why had the House heard nothing?

Two members of the Legation staff, Messrs. R. T. G. Patrick and A. R. Perry, had recently returned from Moscow, and nothing had been heard from them. Mr. R. M. Algie (Opp-, Remuera): Sealed lips. The Prime Minister: Perfect public servantsLesson of Canadian Trials?

“They were perfect public servants insofar as they were kept in solitary confinement,” said Mr. Doidge. “Is there any lesson from the Canadian trials for us?” he continued. “For year after year the activities of the Minister to Moscow have been shrouded in sinister silence.” Personal attacks on New Zealand’s representatives were to be deplored, said Mr. Fraser. “The member for Tauranga should talk politics, not bad journalese,” he declared. Mr. Doidge had referred to the Canberra premises as “palatial”, yet he had seen them, accepted hospitality there, and knew that was not right. It put him on the same footing as the newspapers attacking the meals in the House served to members. The Canberra premises were not palatial, but worthy. The Australian Government had pressed for years for New Zealand representation in Canberra, said Mr. Fraser, who paid a high tribute to the work being done there bv Mr. Barclay. "To lay it down that because a member of liie iiouse is defeated he is not nt ror public service in other spheres is, io put it mildly, untenable,” he said. He did not know of anyone more qualified for their positions than Messrs. Barclay and Thorn and, they need not be afraid of “little poisoned arrows that were being shot at them, or petty spiteful attacks on individuals which _ were lowering tlie standard of debate in the House.” , . Mr Boswell had gone to Moscow to do a difficult job. and had done it, Mr, Fraser continued. The reponsibility for giving information did not rest with Mr. Boswell, and he himself was prepaied to take all responsibility.

No Attack on Russia. There was something more important than attacking Russia and attempting to show up conditions there when the fate of the world was being discussed at this very time. “Communism” is entirely alien, foreign ancl opposed to everything this party stands tor, ’ declared Mr. Fraser, "We would rather disappear ofl : the earth than have any form of dictatorship, whether on the Hitler model or a dictatorship of the proletariat so-called,” he said. General Marshall had just made an important statement which seemed to be an effort to by-pass the Security Council because of the attitude towards the veto. The council was nullified and completely rendered powerless by the use of a weapon which New Zealand knew would have that effect were it adopted. , „ , Did it not mean that General Marshall was seeking a show-down? asked Mr. Doidge. • ...... tie would not like to interpret it that way, said Mr. Fraser. He would say that he was honestly trying to find a way out of an impossible impasse. Referring to the growing cost of external affairs, the Prime Minister said that the country had to decide whether it was worth it. There had been increasing responsibilities and the Government was sometimes nonplussed when it got requests to attend conferences on world affairs, yet if some of those conferences were not attended, the interests of the country might be injured. •