VALUABLE VISIT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 75, 30 March 1943, Page 3

VALUABLE VISIT

MR. EDEN IN AMERICA Wide And Varied Scope Of Conversations Rec. 11.30 p.m. RUGBY, Mar. 29. The visit of Britain's Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden, to the United States, now almost at an end with his approaching departure for Ottawa, has borne excellent fruit, according to Press reports reaching London. He has been able to make and renew personal contacts indispensable for the great tasks ahead, whether in war or peace, and has the advantage of long and valuable conversations with a wide variety of influential Americans. Reports stress the value of these contacts at such a time in removing any misunderstandings, which might tend to mar the unity of the two English-speaking Powers and so prejudicing the prospects of solidfying wider unity aimong the Allies on the momentous issues of the war. There is little doubt that the visit has revealed an even greater unity on fundamental issues than before. No difficulties, that could be forseen, were evaded and, although thg conversations were necessarily only tentative, progress was made i'rom the explanatory stage towards the { preparation of firm ground for wider exchanges. Future Councils of Europe Attention was devoted to Mr. Churchill's conception of future councils for Europe and Asia and there appears to be agreement that this does not connote a preference for regionalism nor any desire that the United States should disinterest itself in Europe. If one thing more than another has emerged from the Allied discussions hitherto, it is the conviction that the United Nations, particularly the four great Powers, must act together in peace as in war and Mr. Eden dispelled any idea that Britain would not throw her whole weight into the Far Eastern war, if Germany were defeated before Japan. It is also noted with particular satisfaction that there is a steady evolution of American opinion towards the acceptance of the necessity of a fully effective permanent international co-operation, not only in the purely political sphere, but in all military and economic implications arising from it. With this underlying conception in the minds of both countries made plain, the present discussions are intended to lead towards a fourPower agreement which would be | the solid basis of a general system of security and co-operation. Dealing in the same spirit with the relations with Russia, Mr. Eden presumably expounded the British hopes that the British and Russian treaty would, similarly be the necessary precursor of a wider agreement. It is understood that the possibility of forming regional, councils in various parts of the world for common security and development were discussed and some progress was made on the plans for the eventual reconstruction of devastated regions. change°of W£i aspect of an apProacMng invasion of SSs' territories * involved.