FRANCE IN WORLD AFFAIRS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27377, 16 June 1954, Page 15

FRANCE IN WORLD AFFAIRS

Effect Of Political Instability MR HOLLAND’S COMMENT (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 15. Regret that political instability prevented France from making as great a contribution in international affairs as could be hoped was expressed by the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) when addressing the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Services* Association today. Although Mr Holland did not refer directly to the overthrow of the Laniel Government and the effect of that upset on the talks on Indo-China, fie

said: “Political instability in France means that that country is not able to make such a great contribution as it would make if it were more stable politically.” Mr Holland said that Britain’s Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) was playing a leading part among world statesmen in the endeavour to bring peace to Indo-China. After saying that only Siam and Burma lay between Indo-China and Malaya, Mr Holland said: “Malaya io a British country, and we would not stand idly by and see Malaya go.* New Zealand was in the front line of international affairs through the spread of communism, added Mr Holland. There were already 800,000,000 persons in the Communist ambit in Europe and Asia, and only 160,000,000 in the countries between New Zealand and the Communist front in IndoChina.

“We cannot view the state of world affairs with composure or satisfaction,’* said the Prime Minister. “Mora than ever before do we need good international relations, particularly with those peoples with a way of life similar to

ours. “The greatest danger which confronts us today, especially internallv, is indifference and apathy. The R.S.A. does a public duty in keeping alivo what the Chief Justice (Sir Harold Barrowclough) has described a* the spirit of the citizen-soldier. “I believe the spirit of the returned servicemen is the greatest asset we have today in strengthening national security.” Mr Holland referred to the increased national expenditure on defence, and said that 33,000 young men already had received the basic training to prepare them for the task of defending their country.