WORD “BRITISH” IN TITLE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25638, 29 October 1948, Page 7

WORD “BRITISH” IN TITLE

NO ALTERATION BY CONFERENCE MR FRASER’S COMMENT IN INTERVIEW (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) 7 P-m.) LONDON. October 27. -The, British Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference reached no decision to drop the word "British” from the designation of the Commonwealth. This’was emphasised by the Prime Minister of New Zealand (Mr P. Fraser) in an interview before he left London to attend the United Nations conference in Paris. Whether or not the word “British” will be retained. Mr Fraser made it plain, depends on the decision of the new Asiatic members of the Commonwealth about their future relationship with it “The London conference arrived at no decisions,” said Mr Fraser. “What it did was to agree upon certain recommendations on consultations with the Governments and High Commissioners of the Commonwealth Countries on economic matters, foreign relations, defence, and other things. The question of whether the term ‘British Commonwealth of Nations* will continue to be used was not ths subject of any decision. “When the question of remaining inside what the King has called ’this brotherhood of nations’ has been decided by; the new nations, the correct nomenclature can be determined,” said Mr Fraser. "New Zealand’s position as a British nation of the Commonwealth will be in no way affected. whatever designation or description may be used to describe the future relationship of the nations which at present form the British Commonwealth. • “In the face of the aggression Which now confronts the world, the main thing is to retain in an unbroken line the nations of the Commonwealth who were represented at the London conference. With India. Pakistan, and Ceylon. Canada. South Africa, Australia. New Zealand, and the United States of America and with the support of the South American nations, no power on earth would dare to threaten aggression.” It is not certain how long Mr Fraser will remain in Paris, but he hopes before he returns to London to pay a brief visit to Germany.