MR MASSEY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 September 1924, Page 5

MR MASSEY

MR MASSEY’S VISIT TO AUSTRALIA.

(by TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) . . WELLINGTON, Sept. 2. Referring to the statement that he is .likely to visit Australia this year, Mr Massey states that he, is unable to see how he can get away for such a purpose for some time to come.

„ The Prime Minister stated at the week-end that he contemplates accepting the repeated invitations he has received to visit Australia. For the past two years there have been frequent invitations to Mr Massey to visit Australia. Mr Massey has met the Commonwealth Prime Ministers many times at the Imperial Conferences in London during his 12 years’ seivice as head of the New Zealand Government, but he has never visited Australia.

Prominent Australian politicians, inC £ Premiers, and members or Parliament who have visited New Zealand, have expressed the opinion that a visit from Mr Massey would j»? * ar towards cementing the ties of kinship between the two communities. Business men ahd private citizens, too on being interviewed during their sojourn m the Dominion, have expressed the opinion that a visit from Mr Massey would inspire the people of Australia, who have all along watched with pride his fearless administration of Dominion affairs, as well as his * *unrepentantly British” outlook, 'to Quote the phrase used by the Prince of Wales in the same connection during his visit here.

\es, I hope to be able to accept the invitation, ’ said Mr Massey when questioned on the matter at the week6nd.. Asked if he could indicate anv possible date for his visit to the Commonwealth, Mr Massey said that his future movements, were in the hands oi 1 arliament. His duties were, he said, increasing in volume each passing year! and he felt that it would be very diffiV' u , him to be away from New Zealand, excepting at such urgent calls ."hose of the Imperial Conferences, otill, he felt .that' ain exchange of visits at intervals between the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Australia would enable the heads of the two Governments to come into closer contact with problems of mutual interest than the exchange of cablegrams and official dispatches could give them. As' time nt T. on - tlie - importance o-l the Pacific in world affairs made it mare essential for a better and closer understanding between the two peoples. Although Mr Massey has no definite plan in mind as to the date of his visit to Australia, it is believed that the most opportune and convenient time, having consideration for his official duties in New Zealand, might be about the end of the present year, or the first month or so of the New Yeiar. .The question of an interchange of visits between the Governors-Genera.l Of Australia and New Zealand was also mentioned by Mr Massey, who did not however, express an opinion. Lord Forster has not yet visited New Zealand. On the other hand, Lord Jellic ‘ oe ' J who is a noted traveller, was in Australia in H.M.S. Suv,a, prior to taking office; in New Zealand. Although custom and precedent have declared that the Governor-General should remain .in his territory during his term ot office, there is no constitutional objection to the Vice-Regal representatives exchanging visits. Authoritative public and private opinion 'warmly ccnimends the project, especially in view of the similarity of the problems associated with the political, industrial, commercial and social development of Australia and New Zealand, the two most distant outposts of the British Empire.— Dominion.