EMPIRE AIR MAILS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 273, 16 October 1936, Page 4

EMPIRE AIR MAILS

AUSTRALIAN REPORT. CHALLENGED BY MR SAVAGE. WELLINGTON, Oct. 10. “Pure guesswork,” was the description applied by the Prime Minister (Bt. Hon. M. J. Savage) to the Press cablegram from Sydney, published yesterday, which purported to give details concerning the recommendations made by the conference which met in Wellington recently to discuss Empire air mails, ami at which both Great Britain and Australia were re presented. When the message was referred to the Prime Minister last evening, he said there was not a single person who could possibly bo dogmatic concerning the outcome of the recent discussions. Certain recommendations had been made, but they would have to he ratified by the various Governments concerned". Although the proposals generally appeared acceptable to New Zealand, they had not yet been discussed in detail by Cabinet and no decision had been made. The position as far as Great Britain was concerned was that only a skeleton outline of the proposal was at the disposal of the British Government, which would not he in a position to discuss details until the leturn of Mr F. G. L. Bertram, Deputy-Director of civil aviation in the British Air Ministry, who was at present on his way hack to England. Possibly some weeks might elapse before the matter was brought to finality by the British, Australian and New Zealand Governments. “It- was realised in the first place,” said Mr Savage, “that publicity lor the proposals while they were still in a tentative stage would he unwise and possibly embarrassing. Consequently, it was decided at the conference that no announcement of the various proposals would he made until the whole position was finalised.”