BRITISH PUBLIC OPINION DISTURBED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 290, 7 December 1944, Page 5

BRITISH PUBLIC OPINION DISTURBED

CRISES IN EUROPE Greeks And Others Must Be Free To Choose N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 11 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 6. British public opinion is disturbed by the political crises in Italy, Belgium and Greece, and by allegations from some quarters ihat the British Government is endeavouring to maintain reactionary governments in these countries against the wishes of the population. The snub delivered by the Secretary of State in Washington, Mr. E. R. StettiniiSS, in sharply and publicly dissociating the United States from British policy in Italy, and, by implication, in Greece, has caused some mystification at the lack of concerted policy. This feeling of public uneasiness is reflected by the newspapers in their comment. The Daily Telegraph says that out of the welter of recrimination from left and right in Greece there emerges the fact that each side suspects the other of preparing, not for free elections, but for the usurpation of power. It adds: "Here is where the British attitude touches, and must touch, Greek politics. We are irrevocably pledged to ensure that elections, when held, shall be free, and we shall fulfil that pledge." In a political sense, the Daily Telegraph says, Britain is bound to ensure that no party shall anticipate or influence by violence the results of the ultimate decisions of the Greek people as a whole. Means must be taken to see that Greece lives at peace until her people can express their views at the elections. If a Greek Government can be found to ensure these conditions, well and good; if not, Britain must ensure them.

The Manchester Guardian, commenting on the demands of the E.A.M., Greek resistance movement, that two brigades of the Greek Army formed in Egypt should be disarmed and disbanded at the same time as the E.L.A.S, army of partisans, says this may at first sight appear an intolerable claim, "but it should be remembered that the Greek Army never yet has been divorced from politics, and is not now." Use of Army Feared "The Left Wing and Republican parties fear that the army will be used to 'rig' the elections in exactly the same way as it was used by Kondylis in 1935 to 'organise' the plebiscite which led to the restoration of the Monarchy. And when the E.A.M. leaders claim that the present Greek Army was carefully chosen from royalists and conservative elements that may not be far from the truth, for it was the Republican and Left Wing elements which mutinied at Alexandria and are now interned in Egypt." If these features arc peculiar to Greece, the Guardian continues, there are others which are common to Europe. Resistance movements in occupied countries, which include the most youthful, vigorous and radical elements of the population, see the war as a dual one—a military war against the German Army and a political war against Fascism at home and abroad. To them victory in the second is as important as victory in the first. "For our own sake, as well as for the sake of Europe, we cannot afford to ignore this deep and sincere feeling, however exasperating its expression may sometimes be. . . Somehow we must find a way to give expression to this feeling and give the resistance movements a share in the temporary government of their country." The Guardian suggests that the remedy is to make the resistance leaders responsible, by insisting that they take a share in the government. . Commenting on the statement by Mr. Stettinius, the Guardian says it cannot often have happened that the British Government has received so sharp a snub. "Delightful Short Memories" The Guardian adds that the Americans have delightful short memories. "Gone is the shameful record of the State Department's support of Darlan, its flirtation with Giraud, its mistrust of de Gaulle. That is all washed out by moralising over Britain's unsuccessful floundering in 'power polities'—in our supposed wish to dominate Greece and Italy and to bind Belgium to ourselves, in our supposed fondness for reaction' and monarchies, and in our supposed fear of resurgent Lett movements. It is an absurd Picture, for of all countries the United States probably (apart from Portugal, Eire and Spain) is the most frightened of a Europe given over to Communism.' " ~ . ~ The Guardian declares that the Government must be desperately careful not to get into these falre positions. The Daily Herald, commenting on the Greek position, says a new beginning should be made by again calling a conference of all the Greek parties which met in Lebanon last May and at the new conference the balance and policy of a reconstructed Government should be decided.

[Such of the entue news on this Dane u Is n designated has appeared in The Times, and ta sent to this paper by special permission. It should be understood that the opinions are not those ol The Times unless stated to be so.J

BELGIAN POLICY

FOREIGN AFFAIRS Hard Peace Terms Against Germany N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 6. An essential factor of Belgian foreign policy was friendship with Britain, said M. Spaak, Foreign Minister, in the Foreign Affairs debate in the Chamber of Deputies. A new era of foreign policy dawned with German aggression in 1940, which ended Belgian neutrality. It was natural that Belgium, waging war beside the Allies, should march solidly with them. Hence Belgium declared war against Italy and Japan.

"Our position regarding Japan is clear. We are a signatory of the Washington Treaty and are pledged to pursue our war effort to final victory, not only regarding Germany but Japan. "I attach especial importance to this undertaking. Our essential duty after the war will be not to disinterest ourselves in the Pacific struggle. We must assist America, China, the British Empire and Holland with all the means in our power and demonstrate in a tangible manner that international solidarity is not empty words to us."

M. Spaak hoped France and Belgium to-morrow would be able to stand united in the task of reconstruction. "If united, as we are with Luxemburg and Holland, we can stand side by side with France and thus form the kernal of an economic entente. In the strength of our riches and the riches of our colonies we can look confidently to the future." Debt to Britain Regarding Britain, M. Spaak said: "We owe Britain, in important measure, our independence of 3830, our restored liberty of 1918 and oiir miraculous liberation of 1944. This impressive repetition of decisive and happy intervention allows us to declare with greater strength than ever that the guiding principle of our foreign policy is friendship with Britain."

M. Spaak, in a tribute to the sacrifices of the Russian people, said it certainly was the wish of small countries that the agreement between the great Allies who had won the war should be maintained in peace. Regarding Germany, M. Spaak said that Belgium demanded a hard peace, politically and economically. "A recurrence of the double tragedy of 1914 and 1940 must be prevented at all costs. It is a matter of life and death for us." He was unable at present to indicate what he meant by a hard peace. Belgium should not at the moment fix the limit of her claims. "But if the consequences of war were that Germany was parcelled out—and this is possible—then we should not refuse this providential chance of assuring our security for a long time to come. Germany must be militarily and economically disarmed." Dealing with the post-war organisation of peace, M. Spaak said that he wished that in the framework of collective security—in the spirit of the British and Russian treaty, and the spirit which may exist to-mor-row between Russia and France— regional ententes should be the sort of executive instrument for the policy of collective security.

"FINAL ACT" ALLIED AIR CONFERENCE Rec. noon. NEW YORK, Dec' 6. The Allied Aviation Conference in Chicago approved the "final act" setting up interim and permanent international air authorities. The , provisions include the following:— (DA convention for the permanent organisation, which will begin to function after the ratification by the 26 nations which have participated in the conference; (2) an agreement almost identical with the convention and providing --.or an interim council; (3) separate agreements on the "five freedoms"; (4) a standard form for bilateral agreements on reciprocal commercial privileges in the interim period. The conference elected Britain, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Belgium. Brazil and Mexico to the council, which will be the executive body of the interim organisation and which will supervise international air transport pending the ratification of the permanent treaty.