MR LANGSTONE’S GRIEVANCE

Southland Times, Issue 25690, 26 June 1943, Page 4

MR LANGSTONE’S GRIEVANCE

Washington Appointment (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 25. Speaking in the debate on the Imprest Supply Bill in the House of Representatives today, Mr F. Langstone (Lab., Waimarino) said he intended to deal with the question of the appointment of the New Zealand Minister ,to Washington and his own resignation from the high commissionership for the Dominion in Ottawa. He contended that if the Prime Minister had wanted to pass a vote of no confidence in him it would have been decent of him to have done so to his face instead of getting him 10,000 miles away and then putting the skids under him. The Government had said that the deterioration of the position in the Pacific was the reason why it had sent the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) to Washington, but that was only an excuse.

Mr Langstone said he was not complaining about Ottawa. The question of the appointment to Washington had nothing to do with Ottawa. He contended that he had“been double-crossed and was the victim of a “Pearl Harbour” attack. At the Speaker’s direction he withdrew the term “double cross.” He added that he would never forget or forgive what had happened to him.