A WELL-KEPT SECRET.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 March 1916, Page 7

A WELL-KEPT SECRET.

AUSTRALIAN PREMIER'S CALL AT AUCKLAND. QUIET INTERVIEW WITTI UR. MASSEY. (Special to Auckland Star). Wellington, March 13. Now that Mr. Hughes, the Commonwealth Prime Minister, is safe and sound in England, there is no harm in giving the story of his visit to New Zealand, which was kept an absolute' secret by the Press, at Mr. Hughes' request, until he himself made it public in London. Australian papers have been permitted, after a discreet interval, to let the public into the interesting story of hoiv their Prime Minister dodged the curious, and put people off the scent as to his real route from Australia to England. This was done by starting out for Port Melbourne in the ordinary way, but breaking the journey at a wayside station, motoring to an unfrequented spot, and going aboard a tug which enabled the party to catch a waiting Vancouver mail steamer out at sea. When Mr. Hughes, his wife and baby daughter, with the secretarial staff, reached Auckland, en route for Canada, tho newspapers were placed on their honor not to make "copy" out of the arrival of so distinguished a visitor. New Zealand's Prime Minister went from Wellington to see him, and the party, together with the Minister of Lands of the Commonwealth, who was touring New Zealand at the time, were the guests of.the Government. Mr. Massey and Mr, Hughes spent tho greater part of two days together, and some attention was paid to the sights, as well as to the important Imperial questions which had to be discussed by the two Premiers. Though everything waß well known to the newspapers, they loyally kept the secret from their readers, and now they may use their interesting, if belated, "scoop." The Right Hon. W. F. Massey, in giving your correspondent permission to publish these facts, spoke in terms of high appreciation of the way in which Auckland pressmen, and, in fact, pressmen throughout the country—many of whom knew of the visit—had kept the matter out of their columns. The Australian Frime Minister and his host were photographed on the top of Mount Eden, an interesting volcanic cone. "It is quite an historic picture," remarked the Prime Minister, "but it has not got into the New Zealand illustrated papers; in fact, the proofs were sent on to Canada on the same steamer, and I have no copies myself!" As for the important discussions which went on, they are still a close secret.