NORTH ATLANTIC PACT

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25742, 2 March 1949, Page 5

NORTH ATLANTIC PACT

Denmark Urged Not To Take Part In Talks

POLISH MINISTER CALLS ON MR RASMUSSEN

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 11 p.m.)

LONDON, March 1

“The Polish Minister to Denmark (Dr. Stanislaw KellesKraus) called on the Danish Foreign Minister (Mr Gustav Rasmussen) yesterday to urge Denmark to keep clear of the proposed Atlantic pact,” says the Copenhagen correspondent of the Associated Press. u A u- Dani « h ia F M eig 2 Office ann °uncement says that Dr. he Iles-Kraus told Mr Rasmussen that Poland did not want Baltic countries to be turned into bases for imperialistic plans endangering the peaceful co-operation of the Baltic States.” The Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Mail” ouotes the Swedish Prime Minister (Mr Tage Erlander) as saying that Sweden will keep to her traditional policy of neutrality, even though she will face increased risks if Denmark, like Norway, enters the Atlantic Pact negotiations. Mr Erlander said of the breakdown in the talks for a Scandinavian pact that Scandinavian unity, strengthened in proportion to the resources of each country‘by organised military co-operation would have meant the regional pacification of a large part of Europe and consequently a very valuable asset for world peace. In Ottawa, Canada’s Minister of Defence (Mr Brooke Claxton) said that since the war Russia had shown that the frankiy stated aims of her leaders to secure the spread of Communism throughout the -world were not just talk. He added that anv attack on Canada now would be purely diversionary, but the situation would alter and Canada’s plans must provide for change and development to meet new circumstances. Mr Claxton said that Canada’s defence expenditure to-day was 12 times that before the war. The Navy, Army, and Air Force had about 40,000 men in full-time service, with a similar number m the reserve forces. The total number in the Dominion’s forces, including civilians, was now more than 100,000.