THOUGHT LUKEWARM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27388, 13 May 1950, Page 7

THOUGHT LUKEWARM

Dominion’s Interest In South Pacific Commission Correspondent’s Survey NZPA—Copyright SYDNEY, May 12. Doubts whether the New Zealand Government is very interested in the idea of the South Pacific Commission are expressed by the Sydney Morning Herald staff correspondent who attended the Suva conference. “ Under her previous Government, New Zealand, whose interests in the South Pacific are extensive, threw herself into the creation and development of the commission with great drive and enthusiasm,” says the correspondent, in the course of a survey of national views on roles in the South Pacific. “ Her representatives on the commission were competent and vigorous, and. equally important, could always count on the full support of their Government. “New Zealand, indeed, had, as a result, largely usurped leadership in the commission, which everybody expected Australia to assume. “ But, although there has as yet been no direct evidence of it, there is a strong suggestion that the present New Zealand Government is lukewarm towards the idea of the South Pacific Commission, and that a decided diminution of New Zealand enthusiasm may be expected. If these conclusions are accepted—and they represent a canvass of opinion of expert observers and international delegates to the commission—then it is clear that the South Pacific Commission’s future must depend, in a very large measure, on Australian assumption of leadership."