COLONIAL MINISTER TO VISIT DOMINION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27026, 10 March 1949, Page 7

COLONIAL MINISTER TO VISIT DOMINION

NZPA— Reuter—-Copyright Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 8. It is officially announced that the Minister of State for Colonial Affairs, Lord Listowel. will leave to-morrow by air for a brief visit to Australia and New Zealand to discuss with the Governments of those countries matters arising from the meeting of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers m London last October. The announcement added that the Parliamentary Under-secretary for Commonwealth Relations, Mr P. Gordon Walker, was to pay a similar visit to Pakistan, India, and Ceylon. The Permanent Under-secretary for Commonwealth Relations, Sir Percivale Leisching, was to go to South Africa and Sir Norman Brook, Secretary to Cabinet, was to go to Canada. The urgent consultations resulting from the visits may include defence and the expansion of Communism in South-east Asia, says Reuter’s political correspondent. One of the chief tasks will be to discuss with dominion leaders possible alternatives to the postponed Commonwealth Foreign Ministers’ conference in Ceylon, which was to have been held in May. A message from Canberra says: Asked to-day in the House of Representatives whether the visit of Lord Listowel to Australia was associated with the threatened withdrawal of India from • the British Empire, the Federal Prime Minister, Mr Chifley, replied: “ Lord Listowel is to visit Australia and New Zealand to discuss matters which the British Prime Minister believes should be the subject of personal talks.” Asked by Mr W. Falkinder (Liberal) if the Prime Ministers of the Empire were to meet to discuss the spread of Communism in Eastern countries, Mr Chifley replied: “ I have not heard any suggestion that the proposed conference is to deal specifically with Communism. For physical reasons the conference of Prime Ministers' proposed for Ceylon will probably have to be abandoned.”