VISIT TO MIDDLE EAST

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22535, 20 March 1943, Page 4

VISIT TO MIDDLE EAST

Hon. F. Jones To Meet New Zealanders (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service.) CAIRO, March 16. "It is my intention to visit as many New Zealanders in the three services as possible,” said the New Zealand Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) on his arrival at Cairo by air from Washington. "The N.Z.E.F. holds a high place in the thoughts of the New Zealand Government and people and its deeds have won universal fame.” On his journey from New Zealand. Mr Jones met many important people and has established valuable contacts with high ranking United States and British service chiefs. At Pearl Harbour he was the guest of Admiral Calhoun and at Washington he was met by the New Zealand Minister to the United States (the Hon. W. Nash). In Washington Mr Jones met the Vice-President (Mr H. J. Wallace), Mr Harry Hopkins, Lord Halifax, General Marshall, Sir John Dill, and Admiral King. He attended a British Mission conference and sat on the left of Lord Halifax. Throughout the United States, said Mr Jones, there is genuine admiration and appreciation of New Zealand’s contribution to the Allied war effort and a real interest in the activities of New Zealand fighting men. He paid a tribute to the valuable work of Mr Nash in Washington, which had enhanced New Zealand’s reputation in the eyes of the United Nations. Mr Jones was impressed by the tremendous achievements in the construction of new Allied lines of communication across islands and continents.