WOULD ORGANISATION NEEDS ARMED FORCES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 117, 19 May 1945, Page 5

WOULD ORGANISATION NEEDS ARMED FORCES

deter aggressors

Whole Basis Of Scheme For Orderly Future

N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 1 P-m. LONDON, May 18. It was not easy to get a conference such as that at San Francisco organised on a workable basis, said the deputy-Prime Minister, Mr. Attlee, in a broadcast speech. Th p delegates, who represented countries which for long years had endured the horrors and privations of war were naturally filled with a c e nse of greater urgency than those who had been remote from the contest, he said. He, therefore, did not expect things would move as auickly as he could have wished, but he was not dissatisfied with the tirogress made. He was hopeful that the main lines of the Dumbarton Oaks plan for a world organisation would be approved, and in some respects improved. The extent to which the major Powers had managed to reach agreement on all minor amendments of the Dumbarton Oaks plan tended to be under-rated because the disagreements had a better news value than the points on which harmony had been attained. The majority of the difficulties which the newspapers featured had risen from matters which were not part of the proposals themselves, but concerned points of procedure.

Main Controversial Matter It was undeniable that the difficulty about the formation of the •Polish Government, and matters connected with that, cast a shadow over the conference proceedings, he continued. Perhaps the only really bis controversial matter outstanding was that of the position given to the Great Powers on the Security Council. There was still a good deal of objection from the other Powers regarding that, but he thought it likely that ultimately the position would be accepted. It was realised that an exceptional position must be given to those Powers on which great responsibilities were being put. A world organisation could not be obtained >vithout agreements between the strongest PnWGf s Discussing the implications of the world organisation, Mr. Attlee said it was necessary to understand quite clearly that if the scheme discussed at the conference became a reality Britain and the British people would be accepting very definite obligations. The whole basis of the scheme was that the world organisation should be equipped with the armed forces necessary to deter,or, if necessary, defeat any aggressor. Britain would have to make a contribution to this force.

Burden of Armaments "We may hope that when the world grows more civilised and stable the burden of armaments may decrease," said Mr. Attlee, but until that time comes we and the other nations must bear our share to ensure the saving of the world from another world war. , , ■ After referring to disordered Europe, whose peoples had suffered terribly, Mr. Attlee expressed the opinion that the nations could not expect to settle down immediately. There had been widespread dislocation of economic life, and it would take a long time to rebuild industry and transportation, and to re-.esta.D-lish agriculture in the devastated countries. Britain, herself, would be living amid an uneasy world and would have a hard time. It would not be possible to increase food supplies until world shortages were overcome. Therefore, many controls would remain for some time.

Purchasing Power of Masses This sounded dreary, he said, but it was necessary to face the fact that there was a hard testing time ahead. On the other hand the possibility of raising the standard of living throughout the world was immense.

Assessing Britain's post-war pros- ' pects, Mr. Attlee expressed the opinion that to meet the mass production of the machine age there must be mass purchasing power, and said: "By wage and salary rates, and through social insurance payments, the masses must be effective purchasers of goods." Mr. Attlee said the Government had dismal reports in connection with various industries, which « showed lack of initiative and absence of effective organisation, which the nation could not afford. "We must realise that oldfashioned methods and obsolete systems must give way to new ones if they cannot provide what the nations need," he concluded.