MR MASSEY’S MISSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 18

MR MASSEY’S MISSION.

MOTOR CAR HELD UP BY POLICE. LONDON, June 12. Mr Massey left Oxford m a motor car at midnight, accompanied by Mr F. D. 'Thomson (private secretary), Mr 11. T. B. Drew (assistant secretary), and Sir W. Grigg (military secretary to the Prince of Wales during the latter’s Australasian tour). When approaching Uxbridge at 2 o’clock the party were suddenly confronted by an obstruction extending across the road, surmounted by red lights. Gyving to reports of night outrages in the neighbourhood of London, Sinn Feiners having stopped motor cars and searched the occupants, the driver promptly pulled up the car ana awaited developments. After a minute’s delay half a dozen policemen appeared, and many others remained in the background. The police cross-questioned Mr Drew, who yvas seated beside the driver. They examined the driver's papers and ■ inspected the car back and front, and noted the registered number. Mr Thomson explained that the party inside the car included the Prime Minister of New Zealand, but the police did not interrogate the passengers inside. After a delay of 10 minutes the police removed the obstruefien, and the car proceeded to London. Mr Thomson asked the officer who was directing the police what was the object of the stoppage. The policeman answered that he was not allowed to say. It is understood that aIU-.tlie main roads to London were similarly blocked last night, for the purpose of arresting a muchwanted Sinn Fein leader, who was believed to be responsible for the recent campaign of sabotage around London. Mr (Massey was interested but not disturbed by the incident. INTER-EMPIRE, TRADE. LONDON, June 13. At the Chambers of Commerce dinner Mr Massey yvas the chief guest. In responding to the toast of “ The British Commonwealth ” he was accorded an ovation. He urged the greater development of inter-Empire trade, and showed that Great Britain could obtain more of her produce and raw materials from the dominions. New Zealand practised what she preached, for she took from Great Britain and other portions of the Empire in 1919 £20,000.000 worth out of a total of £30,000,000 worth of imports. Mr Massey detailed the large orders for hydro-electric plant, railway locomotives, yvagons, and rails which had been placed in Britain.— (Applause.) He hoped that British trade interests would do all possible m this direction. His speech yvas well received. TRADE PROSPECTS DISCUSSION. LONDON, June 18. Mr Massey yvas tho chief guest at a dinner given by the Association of the British Chambers of Commerce. There yvas a. large gathering of commercial interests, who enthusiastically received him. Mr Massey discussed the 'possibilities of a greater development of trade and commerce within the Empire. He instanced that nearly two-thirds of Great Britain’s sugar supply came from Cuba and Java, while out of £105,000.000 worth of cereals only £38,C00,C00 worth came from British possessions. He quoted similar examples in bacon, beef, and cotton, and he then gave details of New Zealand's trade with (meat Britain. He concluded by urging British trade interests to bear the whole problem of inter-imperial trade ever in mind.