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SECURITY IN PACIFIC

JAPANESE PEACE TREATY

MR DOIDGE REPLIES TO CRITICISM "The Frau” Special Service

AUCKLAND, July 31. "There are critics who attack the terms, of the treaty,on the ground that it is 'soft,' There have been complaints that the restrictions on rearmament are not strong enough. There have been misgivings on the score of future Japanese trade. Disappointment has been expressed because the treaty imposes no punishments and exacts little in the nature of reparations," said the Minister of External Affairs (Mr F. W. Doidge) in an address to the English-Speaking Union at Auckland to-day, when he replied to criticisms of the draft peace treaty with Japan. As Minister of External Affairs he had been entrusted with the task of conducting negotiations on the treaty for New Zealand, said Mr Doidge. These began in New York last October, when he had his first talks with Mr John Foster Dulles. The negotiations were continued in Canberra with Mr Dulles and with the Australian Ambassador in the United States (Mr P. C. Spender). “Throughout these discussions, the oveT-riding consideration was the security pf New Zealand and Australia," said Mr Doidge. “The peace treaty, which will be signed at San Francisco in September, is a peace of reconciliation, making Japan once again a free and sovereign country. Under the terms of the treaty Japan will undertake to contribute to collective security in accordance with her means, but without developing armaments which would enable her to become. a menace. Limits of Restrictions “Those who make a study of world conditions realise that it is politically impracticable and militarily unacceptable that permanent restrictions of a drastic nature be imposed upon Japan," said Mr Doidge. “That country has not the military means nor the economic resources again to become an aggressor. Japan has not the raw materials to support her own economy, let alone embark on an aggressive policy. Her military successes in the last war were only possible because she had access to raw materials on the Asian mainland. Communist China bars the exploitation of these resources now, and they cannot be obtained in unlimited quantities elsewhere. “International controls regulate the supplies of oil, steel, copper metal alloys, cotton, chemicals, coal knd other strategic materials. Japan can never again stockpile for war as long as she remains outside the Soviet orbit, Mr Doidge said there was reason for saying that the danger for New Zealand and Australia lay not in Japanese rearmament, but in the risk that Japan might refuse to rearm. “Japan at the present time is having what may be called a ‘free ride,’" continued Mr Doidge, While the rest of the world spent vast sums on defence, Japan used all her resources and manpower on economic recovery. The United States, ever since the war ended, had garrisoned Japan at a cost of 100.000,000 dollars a year. The position was one Japan would be happy to see continue. Not only had Japan been provided with secur&S !>% lars a year in foreign exchange into the bargain, With the, withdrawal of American troops a military v ?S u ’i’R would be created. “Who would fill the breach if Japan did not rf arm? Not New Zealand: not Australia,' said and'communist China would like to see Japan completely defenceless, he continued, The withdrawal at American troops would make Japan an easy target for aggression. At this moment it is a paradoxical situation. We find ourselves in a situation where we have actually to spur an erstwhile enemy into rearmament."

Danger of Communism . There was another danger ,‘winft critics of the treaty chose to Ignore, said Mr Doidge. That was the danger that Japan might be drawn into the Soviet-Communist China bloc. If that occurred, the safety of the Pacific could indeed be threatened. “For Japan there is a strong pull towards China," said Mr Doidge. "It was there in the past that Japan had found most of her rice supplies and raw materials. The new Japan could just as easily have inclined towards Communism, but fortunately she decided to cast her lot with the free world. That was a decision not without danger to Japan. “Again some of the critics insist that there should have been more drastic terms regarding reparations. If the First World War taught us anything, it surely taught us that peace could not be secured on the old basis of an eye for an eye. As it is, the treaty will clamp 80,000,000 people into the narrow geographical barnerg of four small islands." • Stern economic conditions could have been written into the treaty, but Japan must be able to buy food and raw materials to enable her people to work. "Reparations might be counted in money, but they could only be paid in goods,” Mr Doidge said. “As it was, there was the danger that Japan would want to flood the world with cheap merchandise. To prevent that, the treaty provided that Japan must conform to internationally-accepted fair trade practices. "Soviet Russia naturally disliked the treaty,” Mr Doidge said. “A day or two ago the Moscow radio accused the United States of tearing N»w Zealand and Australia away from Britain.’ In actual fact, the collective security agreement among New Zealand, Australia, and the United States, which interlocks with the peace treaty, has Britain’s full blessing. Britain Welcomes Pact "There was never a day throughout the negotiations when the United Kingdom Government was not kept fully informed," said Mr Doidge. "’me United Kingdom warmly welcomed the development of the security pact, and shares wholeheartedly our vibw |hat its completion means that the vital interests of the Commonwealth as a whole have been reinforced and strengthened. “The security pact in which the United Siates, New Zealand and Australia are involved, provides that in the event of an armed attack on any of the parties in the Pacific, each would act to meet the common danger in accordance with its constitutional processes." said Mr Doidge. "This, some critics claim, could mean that New Zealand might find herself in a position where existing obligations could not be honoured. Tne Prime Minister (Mr Holland), when in Washington, had a complete understanding with the Secretary of State (Mr Dean Acheson) on this issue, as I did with Mr Dulles at Canberra. It is clearly understood that New Zealand’s obligations outside the Pacific will be taken into account, “The peace treaty with Japan and the collective security agreement with the United States and Australia provide guarantees which ensure (Air safety in the Pacific. Any danger that remains stems from the Communist bloc. Soviet Russia’s aim, since the war ended, has been to bring Germany and Japan within her orbit. If the, Soviet were in a position to exploit the manpower and the industrial resources of these two countries, she would Inevitably dominate the world. That purpose has been foiled, both in Germany and Japan. “It is not claimed that the peace treaty or the security pact provides the final answer to the problem of our own security, but in the words of President Truman, they ‘strengthen the fabric of peace in the Pacific.”’ Mr Doidge concluded,

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19510801.2.54

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26488, 1 August 1951, Page 6

Word Count
1,188

SECURITY IN PACIFIC Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26488, 1 August 1951, Page 6

SECURITY IN PACIFIC Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26488, 1 August 1951, Page 6

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