VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 276, 22 November 1943, Page 4

VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND

ENGLISH PRESS GROUP

RECEPTION AT AUCKLAND (P.A.) Auckland, Nov. 21. Three leading British newspaper proprietors arrived on Saturday from Sydney by a Tasman Empire Airways flying-boat. They were Sir Walter Layton, chairman of the NewsChronicle, Ltd., and the Star Newspaper Company. Ltd., and of the Ministry of Supply and formerly editor ot the Economist, Sir Neville Pearson, chairman of the worldfamous publishing house of C. Arthur Pearson. Ltd., and vice-chairman ot the equally well-known George Newnes, Ltd., and Mr. Samuel Storey, Conservative member of Parliament for Sunderland, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health and chairman of Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers, Ltd. A fourth member of the party as it left Great Britain. Mr. A. W. Wood, of the Daily Express, London, remained in Australia with the object of visiting New Guinea. Mr. Wood is an Australian by birth and son of a late professor of history at the University of Sydney. He served in the British Army earlier in the w’ar until he was taken from the ranks for special work attached 1.0 combined headquarters in the Middle East. The group was invited to New Zealand by tire Government and. said Sir Walter Layton, gladly took advantage of the offer so that its members could round off their impressions of a part of the world which was attracting ever-increasing attention. Sir Walter said there was not sufficient first-hand knowledge of New' Zealand and Australia among members of the British Press, and ideas about the two countries which were possessed by the average man in the street were vague. It was desirable, particularly for the sake of sound planning for the post-war w’orld, I hat there should be first-hand acquaintance with the special problems and ways ot thought of the various parls of the world, and as the eyes of the British people were turning more and more to the Pacific and the Far East, it was well to take advantage of the opportunity for an interchange of the information, opinions and impressions that such a visit contained. The members of the nasty w'ould use every effort they had to see on their return to Great Britain that their visit was turned to useful ends. The visitors were met on arrival by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, who welcomed them on behalf of the Government. They were taken to fhe Station Hotel, where at night they attended a reception given in their honour by the directors of Wilson and Horton. Ltd., and New Zealand Newspapers, Ltd. A visit to Rotorua was made to-day. and tomorrow' the group will to to Taupo. A fishing expedition is being arranged for Sir Neville Pearson, who began to inquire about New Zealand’s trout as soon as he arrived. To-mor-row night the visitors are to join the Wellington express at National Park.