Tongan Prince

Education Minister—Not Premier

THE following paragraph was pub lished in the “New Zealand Herald” on March 3;— “A recently-published report that Crown Prince Tuboutoa of Tonga had been appointed Prime Minister of the kingdom on the resignation of the high chief Ata was denied yesterday by the New Zealand agents for the Tongan Government, Spedding. Limited. It was stated on their behalf that Prince Tubou toa had been appointed Minister of Edu cation and that the Hon. Ata remained Prime Minister.”

The report referred to was first pub lished in the “Pacific Islands Monthly.”

It came to us from a source usually most reliable; and, when we quoted the above paragraph, early in April, we were informed: “The only report we have had from Tonga is to the effect that Tubou toa is Premier.”

However, the Auckland statement must be accepted as official. We do not know how the confusion arose.