DEFENCE OF THE AMERICAS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25276, 30 August 1947, Page 9

DEFENCE OF THE AMERICAS

Formal Treaty To ' Be Signed

UNITY AGAINST AGGRESSORS

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) RIO DE JANEIRO. August 28. The Treaty of Rio de Janeiro, putting the Act of Chapultepec in the form of a binding pact, and symbolising the determination of the Americas to defend themselves on an “all for one 4 one for all” basis, will be signed at Rio de Janeiro on September 3. The United States proposal for throwing a united hemispheric force, both military and economic, against any aggressor against any American State, was approved unanimously last night by a commission of the inter-Ameri-can defence conference at Petropolis. A United States proposal that those member countries declining to fight with armies could resort to economic sanctions was accepted intact. Under the approved treaty clause, no signatory could remain entirely neutral if the constituted consulting body decided by a two-thirds majority to take action. A three-nation military committee has defined the vast security zone, stretching from pole to pole and from mid-Atlantic to a point roughly 1200 miles off the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, which the American Republics are to defend against any aggressor. The area includes Canada and the Canadian Arctic area, Puerto Rico, the Antarctic continent between 24 degrees west and 90 degrees west, the Falkland, South Georgia, South Sandwich, and South and a vast north Pacific area from about 400 miles off the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula to the middle of Bering Straits. One border extends to a point off Greenland and thence along a line between Iceland and Greenland to appoint off Newfoundland. Provision for Hawaii Hawaii is not within the geographical limits of the zone, but the proposed “all for one, one for all” defence treaty which will be signed in Rio de Janeiro on September 3 places it under-the same provisions. The inter-American defence conference’s full committee on aggression will meet to-morrow to approve formally the zone, which will be known as the “inter-American zone of maritime security.” Canada is not participating in the conference, but the United Press says that the way will be left open for her to join in ‘ the treaty later, if she wishes. A correspondent of the United Press says that most Latin American diplomats expressed the opinion that Canada should not be invited again to join the Pan-American Union or sign a defence treaty, but should take 41 the first step herself, if she so desired. One delegate said that Canada apparently was satisfied with her mutual assistance pact with the United States and preferred to remain aloof from inter-American affairs.