Regional Set-Up

Where Does Anzac Pact End And Commission Begin?

Preparations for the first meeting of the South Pacific Regional Com mission were began by the interim organisation in Australia on April 14.

Date of the first meeting has not vet been fixed.

This statement was made by the Aus tralian Minster for External Affairs (Dr.

Evatt), in Canberra in Mav in answer to questions from a Government member who wished to know if any economic, social, medical or anthropological re search had been made in the S-W Pacific area since the signing of the Australia- New Zealand Agreement for the “welfare and advancement of native poeples in the Pacific.” , Er Evatt stated also that a secretariat oad been set up three years ago, after the signing of the Anzac agreement; this functioned in Canberra and Wellington A liaison officer of the NZ Government worked in the Department of External Af a J ir , s in Canbe rra and an Australian official was stationed in Wellington There was a “complete exchange of views be tween Australia and New Zealand on all important aspects of external policy.”

He said that the Australian Govern ment had continued to contribute to the upkeep of , the School of Tropical Medicine in Svdney, and that medical research would be undertaken in the South Pacific at an early date. (NOTE: Any information supplied by the Minister as to what actually had happened since Australia and NZ made their solemn vows in 1943. was as vague and misleading as most Ministerin' statements. There still seems to be con fusion as to where the Anzac Agree ment ends and the South Pacific Regional Commission begins. Residents of the South Pacific will watch the deliberations of the Commission with interest until it is decided whether or not it will be dom inated by Australia, and. to a lesser ex tent. New Zealand, and whether or not the secretariat, of which Dr. Evatt speaks, wfil continue to function after the permanent estabhshmtnt of the Commission or whether it will be merged with it.)