FUTURE OF N.Z. DIVISION

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24261, 19 May 1944, Page 5

FUTURE OF N.Z. DIVISION

ROLE IN EUROPEAN WAR ALLIED FORCES FOR WAR IN PACIFIC (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON. May 17. “Naturally the role which the New Zealand Division in Italy will play in the European struggle has been one topic we discussed,” said the New Zealand Prime Minister <Mr P. Fraser), interviewed by the New Zealand Press Association, following the Prime Ministers’ conference. “I hope to visit the division myself very shortly, to. see our men. and discuss matters with General Freyberg. "The war against Japan was also covered. We discussed the question of the contribution to be made by the various parts of the British Commonwealth in the next stages of the Pacific war. . “Very considerable forces will be available from the United Kingdom at a later stage. The question of whore these forces can best be used was also discussed, and how their effort can be tied in with the effort which we. the Australians. British, and Indians are already making side by side with out American and Chinese allies.” MR CURTIN’S PROPOSALS DAY-TO-DAY LIAISON LONDON, May IT. Mr Curtin’s proposals for improving the British Commonwealth consultative mrchinery. which the Prims Ministers’ Conference referred for review to the respective Governments, involve monthly meetings between the British Prime Minister and the Dominions’, representatives, and regular daily meetings between the Dominions Secretary and the High Commissioners. In addition, they include ordinary day-to-day machinery for dealing with. foreign affairs, defence, financial, eco- 1 nomic. and soci?l questions. Although all the Dominions maintain service representatives in London. Mr Curtin admitted that a uniform system of defence consultation was impracticable. but he emphasised that It was essential to establish co-operation, not only between Britain and the Dominions, but also between individual Dominions. He urged the desirability of great expansion and co-operation on financial, economic, and social matters. which, he maintained, would occur provided all the Governments . accepted the principle and instructed their officials accordingly. Mr Curtin’s viewpoint- is believed to be that so much individual co-opera-tion has already been established that the time is opportune for bringing it under a central direction. For this reason he recommended the appointment of a small committee representing Britain and the Dominions, to examine the desirability of some centralisation of effort. It is understood • th?f Mr Curtm maintained that machinery could be established which would be. preferable to the regular Prime Ministers’ conferences. Meetings Outside London His view is that opportunity, should also be taken to meet at places other than London, thereby emphasising the reality-of the inter-relation of the Bn* tish Governments and peoples. . . Meanwhile, he has suggested, it would be invaluable if Mr Churchill personal!v gave a monthly review of the current situation and problems, which would also afford him an oppor- . tunity for regular personal co.ntect with Dominion spokesmen and hearing at first hand about Dominion. probr lems. ...... It is understood that the Australian case before the conference a’so stressed the importance of post-war' eg- , operation in Empire defence and the preservation of peace, Mr Curtin 1 pointed out that experience had shov n ■ that “ the- growth of co-operation bad . been slow. It remained to be seen how quickly a system of world security could be developed and maintained, but meantime, security must be provided for British people everywhere. This would, in itself, contribute to world security. POLISH ARMY TROUBLE Effect on Soviet ■ Relations : CRISIS ANTICIPATED , LONDON. May. IT. • The Russian-Polirh situation, de- • scribed by the “Economist” as ”stiU ■ the storm centre of international poll- • tics,” is once again attracting atten- ’ tion. . 1 Following a controversy about, con- ’ ditions in the Polish Army, aroused > by the sentences pronounced recently 5 on Jewish deserters, the Socialist group : in the National Council of Poland has | tabled a motion of norconfidence in 1 General Kukiel, the Minister of Defence, whose resignation is demanded. The Jewish Socialist leader, Dr. ■ Scherer, has also asked for the reslgI nation of General'i Sosnkowski, the j commander-in-chief. • This situation, which the ‘News ' Chronicle” considers has the “makings 1 of a serious crisis in the Polish set--3 up” in Britain, comes at a time when ‘ new informal suggestions for the re--3 sumption of Polish-Russian relations : have been conveyed to the Polish Goveminent by the State Department of the United States, after consultations j with the Russian Government. The “Observer” says that the Soviet . would be prepared, on certain condit to make substantial concessions f from the plan which proposed the Cur- - zon Line as the new frontier, and that - it would agree to the return of Lwow r to Poland, and reconsideration of the problem of Wilno. g The Russians’ conditions (says the e “Observer”) are that the coalition e parties in Mr Mikolajczk’s Govern*. 1 ment in London should be enlarged • by the inclusion of the Union of Polish s Patriots, which is the'organisation of £ Poles in Russia and which should be placed on an equal footing with the i. other parties in London by being „ given three Ministries. The Russians also demand the unification of all the . Polish armed forces in Russia, Britain, 1 would mean the abolition of the post o now held by General Sosnkowski. The “Economist.” while admitting that a fundamental factor in Russiann Polish relations is distrust, urges Brii. tish and American diplomacy to make i, another attempt at reconciliation. The e paper reviews the relations between - the two countries and says that the e Poles’ fear of Russia and the Russian e distrust of the Poles are both underr slaiiduble. n “’There is still just a possibility of I’ a solution. The first need is to con- _ vince the Russians that the Polish Goveminent in London is not anti-Russian and that neither Britain nor America s disputes Russia’s demand that its west-, ern neighbour should be friendly. Yet no assertions carry much weight so . long as the anti-Russian activities of J' the Polish Army are permitted to continue. General Sosnkowski is not indis‘P pensable as Commander-in-Chief.” e Suggesting that General Sosnkowski should go, the “Economist” says: ‘ “Once the Russian case is met to this extent it should be the task of British r * and American diplomacy to bring home to the Kremlin how serious the consequences would be for lasting • |S peace and co-operation if its reply to jp concessions from the Polish were to be rt a further Russian refusal to recognise or negotiate with the Polish Govern|n ment in London. | n "Poland is the first real test of i statecraft of the Soviet Union since a. I its emergence as one of the greatest a 1 of world Powers. It is no exaggera,ij I lion to say that war and peace m i- future will depend upon the manner lin which this test is passed”