TWO DOMINIONS TO CO-OPERATE

Southland Times, Issue 24005, 21 December 1939, Page 5

TWO DOMINIONS TO CO-OPERATE

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND MR FRASER CONFERS IN MELBOURNE SYDNEY, December 20. The Hon. P. Fraser, New Zealand’s delegate to the conference of Ministers in London, will attend conferences with members of the Australian War Cabinet in Melbourne this week in an endeavour to co-ordinate the defence activities of Australia and New Zealand. Mr Fraser had a brief discussion with the Prime Minister, Mr R. G. Menzies, and it was arranged that this discussion should be continued in Melbourne, where Mr Fraser and Mr Menzies went by train last night. Whatever decision is arrived at necessarily cannot be published, but Mr Menzies indicated before his departure that there was not the slightest doubt that Australia and New Zealand would co-operate closely in ments to despatch troops overseas and also in the Empire air scheme. Mr Fraser before leaving for Melbourne said that the war efforts which New Zealand and Australia were making had been a surprise to England and the keenest appreciation had been expressed all round. Mr Fraser said that he supported the British Labour proposal for a discussion of the peace aims, “but Germany has shown not the slightest desire to discuss peace, so we will fight on.” He added that the part played by the Achilles in trapping the Admiral Graf Spee was a feather in New Zealand’s cap. The beginning of the Tasman air- service is to be discussed in Melbourne today when Mr Fraser will confer with Mr Menzies and other members of the Federal Cabinet. Mr Fraser said that there had been talks in London with members of the British Government and British Overseas Air Services Ltd., but no finality had yet been reached.