The Bay of Plenty Times TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 1945. LONDON AND SAN FRANCISCO CONFERENCES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 13721, 3 April 1945, Page 2

The Bay of Plenty Times TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 1945. LONDON AND SAN FRANCISCO CONFERENCES

The• war has demonstrated the value of conferences and roundtable discussions in ironing out difficulties and bringing about mutual goodwill and confidence. The unity of the nations is largely due to this, and the conferences of Teheran and Yalta will always remain historical events. Personal contact and intimate discussions to enable the delegates to a conference to understand and appreciate the other fellow’s views are essential. The good results achieved at conferences and round-table discussions, however are compromises, for no one section can have matters all its own way. It has often been said that the British are rather much too ready to compromise, which may be so, but that has not prevented British progress, while it has secured the goodwill of nations.

Two conferences are to be held within the next few weeks, one in London,.and the other in San Francisco, and both are of importance to the British Commonwealth. The London conference may be described as a private one, for it is confined to delegates from the British Empire, the object being to secure common grounds for the discussions at San Francisco. It is very desirable that the British Commonwealth of Nations should agree to the attitude to be adopted at the larger conference at San Francisco. It is necessary to bear in mind that the Dominions are self-governing and are nations on an equal footing with the Mother Country. But the Dominions are small in respect of population, and have had very little experience in handling foreign affairs. It is therefore obvious that we must allow Britain to take the lead and speak on behalf of the Dominions. The British delegates to San Francisco will be able to do this for they will be fortified by the discussions at the London conference.

The San Francisco conference will be historic. Delegates from all the peace-loving nations, without regard to colour, will take part and the objective of the conference is to perfect plans which will outlaw war. So far as it is humanly possible this should be achieved, and the conference will have the experiences of the League of Nations to serve as a guide. The League might have succeeded had it been given the poAver to enforce its sanctions. It is certain that Avhatever ucav organisation is set up at San Francisco, it will be clothed with such powers as will enable it to enforce its decrees. But the organisation must have a moral force, otherAvise it aaull fail.