Stage Set For New Commonwealth?

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31723, 5 July 1968, Page 10

Stage Set For New Commonwealth?

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) LONDON, July 4. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand may be ready to take a larger share with Britain, in the leadership of the new Commonwealth, Mr Gavin Astor, chairman of the Commonwealth Press Union Council, said in a report to the union’s annual conference in London.

Mr Astor, who is president of The Times Newspaper Company, said it was recognised that the Commonwealth was divided into two categories, with Britain and the three older Dominions as developed nations and the remainder as under-developed countries. “This suggests that the stage is set for the present Commonwealth of two dozen countries to evolve into a new

tripolarised association—perhaps with an entirely new name—based upon the three main geographical and mostdeveloped regions: the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australasia,” Mr Astor said.

Britain would still be at the centre, but would be more closely knit with Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In his report, Mr Astor said that in most developing countries where press freedom was easily abused, some form of control might be necessary to cope with the low degree of literacy and level of education; but selfcontrol, rather than official control, should be the objective.

The same rules of press freedom could not be expected to apply in SouthEast Asian countries as in countries where public criticism was accepted and did not imply a corresponding loss of face. Mr Astor suggested that the developed countries in the Commonwealth Press Union could help the growth of the Asian press by lending technicians and managers to Asian newspaper offices, conducting research into designing small printing machines to produce 100,000 copies a day, provide assistance in making newsprint and printing inks from Asian raw materials, and establish training facilities for Asian technical, managerial and editorial personnel.