Commonwealth’s Tasks “Massive Indeed”

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28792, 13 January 1959, Page 10

Commonwealth’s Tasks “Massive Indeed”

(New Zealand Press Association) • PALMERSTON NORTH, January 12. The question whether warm hearts could accomplish more in under-developed countries than could a “certain nation” through its regimentation of labour was' posed by the Governor-General (Viscount Cobham), when he spoke at the opening of the Commonwealth Relations Conference this afternoon. Lord Cobham said that the tasks before the Commonwealth were 'massive indeed. Money alone would not serve to do away with want and fear, the banishment of which must be assisted by mutual understanding among natipns. ,

The knowledge-of the characterless few should not operate oppressively against _ the ignorance of the many, said Lord Cobham. It was only when men were freed from fear that they could be freely disposed towards decency. Liberty had been described as one’s right to discipline oneself in order not to be disciplined by someone else. It would be a very long time, however, before men would hold in their hearts only justice and righteousness. “We are reminded of the rapid pace of development, in the Commonwealth by the presence among us of. guests from a number of countries which have recently become fully independent members of the Commonwealth, and of others that are shortly to become so,” said the Prime Minister Mr Nash) in his address. “We are particularly happy to welcome guests from Ghana, from Malaya, from Singapore, from the West Indies Federation, from Nigeria, and from East Africa, whose views on the problems to be examined at the conference will, I know, be of exceptional interest to the other participants,’’ Mr Nash said. The many-sided activities of the Royal Institute of International Affairs were well known, he said. The value of its contribution to the study of contemporary history could scarcely be exaggerated. There must be very few significant works on Internationa? affairs written in English during the last 30 years that had not owed something to the institute’s headquarters at Chatham House, and few English-speaking students of international problems who had not drawn on its resources. “Most Valuable’’ "In my opinion the holding of conferences such as this is one of the most, valuable of those of Chatham House’s activities that are directed specifically at the Commonwealth,” Mr Nash said. The Mayor of Palmerston North (Mr W. B. Tennent, M.P.) said: "You have come among us as representatives of sister nations of our great Commonwealth, all ol whom, whether large or small, meet together on equal terms and none is subservient to the other. We are glad to welcome you here because we believe. that there is no greater force for peace and understanding in the world today that our British Commonwealth of Nations. "Opposing us today Is a very large bloc whose philosophy of life is a materialistic one: a philosophy which makes man subservient to the State and not the State to the man. Those other nations which .have come within the grip of its tentacles have found that whatever advantages membership of that bloc may bring, inevitably freedom is extinguished and valued political identities are submerged. “In distinct opposition to this our Commonwealth has always stood for certain principles—fundamentals for the good of humanity,” Mr Tennent said. “It has never countenanced injustice, tyranny, or oppression. Freedom has been our watchword—the self-governing members of our Commonwealth have always embraced people of different upbringing, social background, and religious belief. They have all had this in common, that they were peace-loving democracies in which the ideals of political -liberty and personal freedom were jealously and constantly preserved. Whatever outward form, our Commonwealth may assume in the future the principles which inspire ft must prevail in the world.

“I believe that nations, outside the Commonwealth see in it a system—a working alternative on which ultimate peace could be established, and it is significant that in recent years some countries have hinted that they would be interested in membership, and it is also significant that only as recently as 1956 the Earl of Home, British Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, after setting out the outstanding considerations of the Commonwealth said: "there is no reason why in the future the numerical majority of membership should not be other than British.’ *’