WAR PLANS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23931, 5 October 1939, Page 10

WAR PLANS

CO-ORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES BRITAIN AND DOMINIONS CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. The intention of the New Zealand Government to send a Minister to London for a conference of ministerial representatives of the British Commonwealth on the co-ordination of war activities was announced in the House of Representatives late to-night by the Acting Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser). He said the conference, which would of necessity be brief, would enable the mind of the British and other Empire Governments to be made plain "In order to supplement the existing arrangements for collaboration between the Governments of the British Commonwealth," said Mr Fraser. "his Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom recently inquired whether the other Governments concerned would be ready to arrange to send a Cabinet Minister to London to confer with the Ministers there and with each other, the object in view being to co-ordinate tc the best advantage the contributions which each of us can make to our common task. This suggestion has been generally welcomed and the Governments of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia and the Union of South Africa are each arranging to send a Cabinet Minister to London to confer with the British Ministers and with each other as soon as practicable. "His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom feels confident that it will benefit greatly from the fuller knowledge which they will thus gain of the problems and plans of the Dominion Governments, and it believes that the. Dominion Governments will also be helped by the first-hand impressions which the Ministerial representatives will form and by the full report which they will bring back with them. The New Zealand Government shares these views and it has accordingly decided to send a Minister to London for this purpose as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made." Mr C. A. Wjlkinson (Independent. Egmont): Have you decided which Minister will go? Mr Fraser: No. Mr W. J.' Poison (Opposition, Stratford): I hope you will go yourself. Mr Fraser: I don't know about that.