BELGIAN CONSUL-GENERAL

Otago Witness, Issue 3489, 25 January 1921, Page 28

BELGIAN CONSUL-GENERAL

M. SEGAERT WELCOMED. WELLINGTON, January 18. M. Henri Segaert, the Belgian Consulgeneral in Australia, who is in Wellington at present on an extended trip through the dominion, is an interesting personality-, fie is a young man of polished address, who might almost be taken at first as an educated Englishman. He has been accorded a civic reception, and to-morrow at noon lie will, on behalf of King Albert, decorate Mr Massey with the Order of the Crown, which has been conferred upon him as a mark of the appreciation of Belgium for all that New Zealand did for her during the war. M. Segaert will return next year to Belgium, and will write and lecture about New Zealand. Incidentally, M. Segaert has a keen scent for business, and is anxious for an exchange of commodities between his country and New Zealand. He is most appreciative of the large amount of money sent from this country to relieve the distress in Belgium. He states that the reconstruction in Belgium is going on apace, and the labouring classes are working hard to achieve the best results. M. Segaert mentioned that the dominion would soon have the Belgian wool buyers again competing at tho sales, as Belgian buyers were coming over from Australia in a cargo steamer. T hey had been held up owing to the strike in the commonwealth.