The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1941. AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 272, 17 November 1941, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1941. AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

'J'HE interdependence of Australia and New Zealand, an interdependence greatly increased by the war, was the timely topic of a vigorous address by Mr. Nash last night. Mr. Nash has recently visited the Commonwealth, and his experience of the rapidity of air travel impressed on him the degree to which the conception of New Zealand as an "isolated ' country has been outdated. He was impressed also by the view he had of the great scale of Australia's munition-making industry. These two developments are of obvious importance to the defence of New Zealand. Distance has been conquered—though in wartime this is not only a gain—and there is rapidly growing up in Australia a source of war supplies upon which the Dominion inevitably will come to rely more and more. It should therefore become possible for the strengthening of New Zealand's own defences to proceed more rapidly than in the days when the Dominion had to rely heavily on British supplies—for which Britain's need was greater. It is indeed as natural that New Zealand should look to her large neighbour for help of all kinds, when needed, as it is that Canada should look to the United States. Similarly, just as it is recognised that the United States and Canada have common interests and responsibilities on the North American continent and in the Atlantic, so Australia and New Zealand have common interests and responsibilities in the Pacific. And they can discharge those responsibilities only if there is between them close and continuous consultation, leading to effectual co-ordination of activity.

It was on this point—the degree of consultation and co-ordination between Commonwealth and Dominion—that Mr. Nash was somewhat less than convincing. For years, after the occasional, irregular visits of New Zealand Ministers to Australia, and the rarer visits of Australian Ministers to New Zealand, admirable sentiments have been expressed, and excellent aspirations have been voiced—but how much performance has there been? What, to-day, are the instruments of consultation and co-ordination? Each country maintains Trade Commissioners across the Tasman, but the functions of these are* restricted as indicated by their name. Australia has sent Ministers to Washington, Tokyo and Chungking, but no High Commissioner to New Zealand. New Zealand is to appoint a Minister to Washington, but has no representative in Canberra. As to defence, the degree and continuity of consultations between the armed forces on each side of the Tasman appears quite inadequate. There, is no body in existence equivalent to or resembling the Joint Defence Board on which the United States and Canada are represented. The Services' liaison is inconspicuous. Yet it might easily happen that developments in the Pacific would call for such action to be taken by both countries as could not be taken, quickly, unless tiiere existed complete understanding between them. Mr. Nash asserts that there is on defence issues the closest possible agreement. His assurance can be accepted in so far as it refers to the situation as it existed when he was in Australia recently; but the situation may change rapidly and radically. Would it then be necessary for Mr. Nash, or another Minister, to go to Australia again for consultation? The hard pressure of war enforces changes in methods and' machinery, and it will certainly do so in the Pacific if the conflict spreads. Mr. Nash's talk on interdependence would have been more happily rounded off if he had been able to announce that new instruments of consultation and co-ordination had been forged as the result of his visit to the Commonwealth.