COMMON INTERESTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19134, 1 October 1936, Page 11

COMMON INTERESTS

NATIONS OF EMPIRE PROBLEMS TO BE FACED (For Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. A complimentary luncheon to the Australian and British delegations attending the aviation and air mail discussions was tendered by the New Zealand Government to-day. The Prime Minister, the lit. lion. M, .T. Savage, presided. In welcoming the delegates, the Prime Minister said that whatever difficulties they might have to discuss, they could not. overlook the outstanding fact that they wore part. 1 and parcel'of (lie same'race. He visualised the time in the near future when the British commonwealth of nations would be bigger ami closer together than it was to-day. .Up to the present he was afraid they had drifted along without realising the big problems' around themf lmf~ to-day they were discussing mailers that concerned the whole of the British race, and I ho whole of the civilised world. Sir A rehdale Pa rich ill, the Australian Minister of Defence, in reply, spoke of the friendship between New Zealand and Australia. Anything tliai could be done' to establish closer contact between the two countries should he welcomed, he said. It was imperative that the two Dominions should be as closely allied as possible, at the same time, of course, preserving their- own identities. Mr. F. G. E. Bert nun, on behalf of Britain, also returned his thanks. llis trip out to New Zealand, he said, made him realise just what a big place the Empire was, and ho saw tho value of regular commercial air services in bringing parts of the Empire together. lie hoped that on his next visit he would be aide to cross the Tasman also by air.