AUSTRALIA’S POLICY

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27639, 21 April 1955, Page 11

AUSTRALIA’S POLICY

Menzies Defines Five Aims

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 pan.) CANBERRA, April 20. Five main objectives of Australia's foreign policy were outlined by the Prime Minister, Mr Menzies, in the House of Representatives. tonight, as follows:

We must constantly seek for peace provided that peace can be had with justice.

If we are to become involved in war we must see to it that in such a war we have powerful and willing friends.

We must not only defend our rights but also the rights of others. This is the golden rule and the golden rule operates both ways. We must seek to raise living standards not only for ourselves but for all those other nations who are struggling towards the life that we have been privileged to enjoy for a long time. We must live and let live. That is, we are not tp interfere with the internal affairs of other people, so long as they pursue the same principle. Mr Menzies also stated six main principles which Australia had a mPted in pursuit of these objectives. They were:— We support the Charter of the United Nations, its structure, and its procedures.

We support and closely co-operate W w “ ie British Commonwealth, We work incessantly for the closest collaboration between the British Commonwealth and the United States of America. '

We pursue good neighbour policies towards Asian countries in this section of the world. We encourage the development of the worlds peaceful trade, including our own with other countries. We will justify the co-operation or other nations by ourselves accepting obligations and doing what is necessary at home to make these obligations performable. ' Un the Un ited Nations, Mr Menzies said that because of the veto it was clear that if strength was to be put into the United Nations machinerv for peace “it must be created and maintained by individual nations, or be the result of subsidiary agreements between nations.” • ePB, OI ® co-operation with the British Commonwealth, he said, he was never more convinced of the “enormous joint force for goodwill” the nations of the British Commonwealth presented than at the recent Prime Ministers _ Conference. « British and American collaboration, Mr Menzies said the Communist policy was “to divide and conquer.” There was no country in the world more completely British” than Australia. But Australians would be strmigely blind if they diL* not see that America had become vital to the existence of the free world.