WESTERN EUROPE PACT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 135, 19 March 1948, Page 2

WESTERN EUROPE PACT

Mr Fraser Welcomes

Signing

VALUE OF PRESIDENT TRUMAN’S SPEECH

(P.A.) WELLINGTON. March IS. Events over the last few weeks had brought a painful realisation that failure to act together, to act now, and to act with vigour wpuld have themostdisastrous consequences, said the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser), commenting to-day .on the signing of the Western Europe pact. He said he regarded the pact and President Truman’s speech as matters of outstanding value and importance.

Mr Fraser said New Zealand would play its part toward assisting the solution of world problems. The leadership shown by Mr Bevin and Mr Truman augured well for the recovery of Europe and the preservation of liberty and democracy everywhere. He welcomed the formal alliance of the Western Union which would'have, as it deserved to have, the wholehearted support of the Government and people of New Zealand. The United Kingdom was completely right in its decision to work with other like-minded European nations to end economic misery and chaos produced by war and to affirm and secure the values they held in common. Mr Fraser said he placed a high value upon Mr Truman’s speech, which showed in no uncertain manner a proper appreciation of the state of the world to-day. The President had made clear that the United States Government Avas determined to face up to the heavy responsibility which had inevitably fallen to the lot of a great and powerful nation. Thus , encouraged, other democratic nations would face their present difficulties with renewed confidence and the. knowledge that effective leadership and support were available, and that the resources of the democracies would be used for the restoration of the war-torn world and the preservation of liberty and the democratic Avay of life. "The New Zealand Government will play its part, as it has in the past, toward assisting in the solution of the problems which confront the world and, in particular, Avill give whatever support it can to the United Kingdom Government in its efforts to promote the recovery of Western Europe and the presentation of the liberties and culture of democratic people everywhere.”