World War II Has Produced Many Important Conferences

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 163, 12 July 1945, Page 4

World War II Has Produced Many Important Conferences

WHEN the story of the present war comes to be written it will be better realised how great a part conferences played- in deciding the plans of the United Nations' offensive It is true that there were consultations in the last war, but such had been the. development in transport in the intervening years that in the second war against Germany it was possible to assemble representatives of the Allied Nations without much loss of time and in almost any part of the world.

The extraordinary series of conferences over the past few years opened with the meeting in midAtlantic of Mr. Churchill and President Roosevelt in August, 1941. From this meeting arose the Atlantic Charter, based on the hope for a better future for the world. Its aspirations were set forth in eight common principles, not to be confused with the Four Freedoms which were enunciated by President Roosevelt in one of his broadcasts to the nation. The eight points were:

(1) That Britain and the United States sought no aggrandisement, territorial or otherwise; (2) they desired to see no territorial changes not in accord with the wishes of the people concerned; (8) they respected the rights of all peoples to choose their own Government; (4) they would endeavour to assist all States to have equal access to raw materials; (5) they desired to promote economic collaboration; (6) they hoped, after the final destruction of Nazi tyranny, to see a peace established which would enable all nations to live free from fear and free from war; (7) they stated that such a peace would enable all men to traverse the high seas and the oceans without hindrance; (8) they ] -lieved that all the nations of the world, for realistic as well as for spiritual reasons, must come to abandon the use of force. Meeting in Washington In the following December the two leaders-met again, this time in Washington. It was stated that the primary objective of the conversations on this occasion was the defeat of Hitlerism in all parts of the world. The principles of the Atlantic Charter were adopted at the PanAmerican Conference held in Rio de Janeiro in January, 1942. The conference was attended by the Foreign Ministers of the American Republics, and at its conclusion 21 delegates from these countries signed a pact for severance with the Axis Powers. Argentine and Chile dissented. On June 18, 1942. the world learned that Mr. Churchill had paid a second visit to Washington where details of actions that would divert the maximum of Japanese strength from China and German strength from Russia had been discussed. After a four-day Visit to Moscow, where he had important conferences with Marshal Stalin, in mid-August, 1942, Mr. ChUrchill made his fifth overseas journey in less than two years when he met Preside-t Roosevelt at Casablanca in January, 1943. On that occasion complete agreement on war plans for 1943 to bring about the "unconditional surrender" of the Germans, Italians and Japanese was reached. The conference decisions were subsequently carried into effect in • the Allied campaign in Tunisia and Sicily. In the following August the Quebec Conference, attended by Mr. Churchill and President Roosevelt took place. .Mr. Churchill's party arrived secretly, unobserved by the public. The first indication of impending events was the intimation to guests at the famous Chateau

Frontenac that all rooms must be vacated and guarded references made to the expected arrival of a "Mr. Bullfinch." The conference, which devoted considerable time to consideration of the development of Pacific war strategy, was described by Mr. Churchill as a "satisfactory milestone along the road to victory." He made it clear that Russia had not been invited to be represented at the conference because she was not fighting Japan. Three-Power Conference Moscow was the scene of the next conference—the Three-Power Conference which opened in the Soviet capital on October 19, 1943, and was attended by three Foreign Ministers —Mr. Anthony Eden, representing Britain, Mr. Cordell Hull, the United States, and Mr. Molotov, the U.S.S.R. The outcome of the scores of talks on this occasion was that the three Powers agreed to act in collaboration throughout the war and to keep the peace afterwards. China also subscribed to this decision.

The problem of food was discussed at a conference of representatives of 44 nations which opened at White House, Washington, on November 9, 1943. After signing an agreement setting up a United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration— Unrra as it came to be knoWn— the conference shifted to Atlantic City. It was there .hat New Zealand's contribution towards restoring reconquered countries was assessed at £2,400,000. A tentative agreement to extend relief to enemy and exenemy countries after their surrender was also reached. Hopes of a meeting of Mr. Churchill, President Roosevelt, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and Generalissimo Stalin ran high towards the end of 1943, and were gratified in part by news in December of a conference of the first three in Cairo. The three leaders expressed their resolve to bring unrelenting pressure against Japan by sea, land and air. They then left with their respective military and diplomatic advisers for undisclosed destinations. For Mr.. Churchill and President Roosevelt the destination proved to be a common one—Teheran. Here, a few days after the Cairo Conference, the historic meeting with Generalissimo Stalin took place. Turkey's Attitnde The Teheran Conference was scarcely terminated when the third of this great series of international talks took place in Cairo, involving Britain, the United States and Turkey, represented by President Inonu. The result of the meeting was that Turkey, instead of being strictly neutral, assumed an attitude of benevolent non-belligerency, aiding the Allies with all steps short of war. The year 1944 opened with a Pacific Conference attended by Australian and New Zealand Cabinet Ministers. The New Zealand party was headed by the. Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser. The conference opened at Canberra on January 17, and on January 21 the Australia-New Zealand pact was signed. The agreement covered a wide range of important subjects, including the control of air trunk routes, the welfare and advancement of native people, and control of immigration.

The future conduct of the war against Germany and Japan, the arrangements for the post war world settlement and security organisation and the determination of inter-Im-perial policies on transport, migration, education, defence and welfare and betterment of colonial people w*re among the subjects discussed at the Empire Conference which opened in London on May 1, 1944, tinder the chairmanship of . Mr.

Churchill. It was attended by the four Dominion Prime Ministers, Messrs McKenzie King, Curt in, Fraser and General Smuts and by the Dominion Secretary, Viscount Cranborne. The Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia and the Maharajah of Kashmir, representing India, were called in when their respective countries were the subject of discussion. Monetary Conference Finance next came within the sphere of international discussion, when, on June 30, 1944, there gathered at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, the representatives of 44 nations. The immediate task of this monetary conference was to arrange for an international . office with power to control the exchange rate of the world's currencies so as to forestall any possible international inflation that might result from the war. At a time when, in the words of Mr. Cordell Hu'il, "The war was moving toward overwhelming triumphs for the forces of freedom the momentous conference on world security opened at Dumbarton Oaks, near Washington, in the following August. The conversations were continued through September into October, and resulted in a general framework of an international security organisation which was held to be an improvement upon the former League of Nations. For the purpose of "'winding up the European war and planning the conclusive campaign in the Pacific," Mr. Churchill and President Roosevelt, attended by their respective advisers, met for the Second Quebec Conference which opened last September. Generalissimo Stalin was unable to attend, so, as a sequel to these talks, Mr. Churchill continued his global journeys in a visit to M -cow the following month. Germany's Final Defeat Planned This year. 1945. began with the forces of the Allied Nations converging inexorably on Germany, but still the talks continued as to how best to hasten her defeat. Early in the year it was reported that President Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill were planning a meeting with Generalissimo Stalin, and on February 12 news came ,that this conference had come to pass, at YaTta. a Crimean pleasure resort near Sebastopol. There the "Big Three" had made momentous decisions for the final defeat of Germany and the post-war settlement of Europe. On the way home via the Middle East, President Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill had talks with the Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Silassie, King Farouk of Egypt, and King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia. These conferences proved to be the last of the international talks in which President Roosevelt participated, his death occurring in April.

In accordance with a decision reached at the Yalta conference, p.-eparation was made for the San Francisco peace conference, and this opened according to plan on April 25 in the Opera House. It was attended by 3300 delegates, advisers, consultants, cameramen and reporters. After 60 days' deliberation the Charter of the United Nations was produced and a new organisation, the United Nations World Organisation, established for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security by peaceful means, but by force if necessary, was born.

Still the conferences go on, and the "Big Three," now comprised of Generalissimo Stalin, Mr. Churchill and President Truman, are at present on their way to Berlin for their first big deliberations after complete victory in Europe-