IN BRITAIN TODAY Aust. Diplomat Outspoken

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32320, 11 June 1970, Page 22

IN BRITAIN TODAY Aust. Diplomat Outspoken

(PA -Reuter Copyright Cable News Digest)

LONDON. The Australian High Commissioner in London (Sir Alexander Downer) startled 120 guests at a private luncheon in London last week by criticising the British Government’s foreign policy, just as the General Election campaign was starting, the “Sunday Times” reports.

It is an accepted convention of modern diplomacy that during an election in democratic countries, members of foreign diplomatic missions avoid giving any sign of their personal feelings on the outcome. Sir Alexander Downer’s speech, as guest-of-honour at the luncheon of the Worshipful Company of Butchers—of which he is an honorary freeman—included comments on British policy on South Africa and Asia, the newspaper says.

Referring to Britain’s trade with South Africa and the cancellation of the South African cricket tour, the High Commissioner is reported to have said:

I “This sort of new I intolerance is something that I in untypical of the heart of I this country ... If you do not I like South Africa, and don't I want to play games with I them, is it right that you I should trade with them? I “Is it right to draw diviI dends from South Africa, and continue an increasingly important defence policy with its government? e “To mix politics with [sport means running the risk ’ of quarrelling with friends » However much we agree or i disagree with apartheid, it is they, not us, who have to - deai with it." Sir Alexander Downer ts also reported as saying: “We should all try to be logical in our attitudes, especially on situations with which few disagree. The Springboks’ tour cancellation was an example of law and order getting out of hand in

Britain.” The High Commissioner [went on to say that a rising intolerance had become evident in some sections of British politics, universities and newspapers. This was directed, in particular, at nations whose forms of government Britain did not particularly like. He is said to have cited, as examples, South Africa, Spain, Greece and metropolitan Portugal. At the same time, there had been less denunciation of Russia from certain quarters, the High Commissioner is said to have added. I Complaining about attitudes towards Asia, Sir Alexander Downer said, according to the “Sunday Times”: “Critics just do not understand. Vietnam is a long way from Britain, but if you were in Australia or New Zealand [you would not think it was so i far. “Where would we have been in the Western world if it had not been for American generosity and intervention? Let us remember our true friends. “This rising intolerance is a sign that comes at a time when I say, with great sorrow, that the voice of Britain is listened to less and less in the world.” The “Sunday Times” says it asked Australia House for a text of the speech, but was told that it had been delivered without a typecript or notes; and a member of the High Commissioner's staff said that Sir Alexander Downer did not want to discuss the matter further.

The “Sunday Times” comments that Sir Alexander Downer, who is 60, has established a reputation as one of London’s most outspoken and articulate diplomats since becoming High Commissioner, after four years as Minister for Immigration in Sir Robert Menzies’s government. His general theme in speeches to businessmen's meetings especially during the past two or three years of Labour rule, has been criticism of Britain’s withdrawal from wider international responsibilities, and for tendency to selfdenigration. His five-year appointment has been extended by a further year. Margarine Price Up The inroad of margarine into the British butter market is expected to be shortened by a 7 per cent increase in the price of most margarines. While New Zealand butter imports to Britain are regulated at all times by the butter quotas negotiated each year between New Zealand and Britain, the level of [those quotas must be affected by the total amount of butter [that can be sold in British shops and. supermarkets. The newly-announced pricerise in margarine applies to three of the eight or nine brands, and to the two most popular brands of artificial cooking fat. Margarine prices in Britain were last increased in January of this year, at which time the general level of retail prices came close to those for New Zealand butter, the cheapest on the British market. The Prices and Incomes

Board examined the rises carefully and said they were reasonable, but issued a warning that no further increases should be considered unless costs rose significantly, and quickly. The leading margarine company, Van den Berghs, said that the new rise is due partly to recent wage increases and partly to the cost of raw materials, which have risen by 10 per cent in the last three months. Marine oils are the main ingredients of margarine that have risen in price dramatically. The Government has made no comment on the latest increase, except to say, through a Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries statement, that the margarine companies will need to have a good case. Bid To Combat Absenteeism The Northern England shipbuilding yard of Swan Hunter, now constructing four container ships for the New Zealand trade, has decided to introduce a novel lottery in its war against absenteeism. The consortium will offer a weekly cash prize of £lOO, tax free, to those among its 15,000 workers who attend regularly. In addition, there will be four bonus draws a year for mini cars. Absenteeism at Swan Hunler’s is now running at about 8 or 9 per cent “Every day 1250 employees arc absent from our yards," said a spokesman “If there [is a good soccer game on, or I some other attraction, we miss thousands of them." ; To stand a chance of winning the £lOO prize, a worker must have had full attendance the previous week: and for the mini car, he must have attended fully for the previous quarter. Sir John Hunter, the chairman of the consortium, said that the firm had hopes that the lottery would increase productivity by reducing the number of production runs wrecked by absenteeism. Al) members of the staff over 18. except the directors and senior executives, will qualify for the ballots, which will be made, “Ernie" style, [ by a computer.

Manifesto On Birth Control In New Zealand, only the! main parties put out manifestos at the time of a General Election. Not so in Britain, where every pressure group, large or small, announces one in the hope that politicians of all parties will be embarrassed during the election campaign by the questions it asks. Among the latest in this category is the “Birth Control Manifesto," issued jointly by six abortion and family-plan-ning groups. It says that every child should be a wanted child; that any act of sexual intercourse without contraception is irresponsible unless , the child is planned; and that the Government has a primary duty to reduce unwanted pregnancies and encourage birth control. The groups want birthcontrol advice widely available on social security; free sterilisation for men and women who want it; continuation of the Abortion Act; funds for a national campaign on birth control: and greater spending on research into contraception. The six groups add: “Everything we want is available under present law. All it needs is a government to recognise the importance of family-planning, and to spend some money on it. We aim to see that every candidate for the election knows what is involved.”

Lucrative Smuggling Racketeers smuggling Commonwealth immigrants into Britain illegally were making about £6OO profit on each, a London court was told. An Indian accused of taking part in the racket was described by a detective as “a cog in an illegal-entry ring which stretches from India to the Continent, and from there to Britain." Harbax Singh, a cleaner at London Airport, was imprisoned for three years after having been found guilty of conspiring with Amrik Singh and others unknown to procure the illegal entry into Britain of Commonwealth citizens. Amrik Singh, aged 21, an agricultural worker, was convicted of being concerned in the offence, and was sentenced to one day in prison.

The judge said that Amrik Singh had been in custody since January, and would be arrested by the immigration authorities as an illegal immigrant. The court was told that watch was kept at London Airport on January 18, and Amrik Singh was seen to get off a plane from Paris. He was seen to go towards the immigration desks, but then into a lavatory. Later, he and Harbax Singh were stopped by immigration and police officers. Both were then wearing cleaner's jackets. A detective-sergeant told the court that the racketeers who had been paying Harbax Singh were making about £6OO profit per immigrant

The judge said thal, on the evidence, Harbax Singh had been playing a necessary part in the illegal entry of immigrants for over six months and, from what he had told the police, must have made at least £7OOO. Idea Rejected British political leaders referred last week to a possible free vote in Parliament if the negotiations for Britain’s entry into the European' Common Market ended favourably. But the Prime Minister (Mr Wilson) rejected the idea, saying that it would undermine the Parliamentary system and lead to free votes on all kinds of subjects. The Conservative Leader of the Opposition (Mr Edward! Heath) had said that any. agreement should be recom-! mended to the party, . but! those who opposed Common Market membership would be free to vote as tl z pleased. | Lord Byers, speaking for the Liberal Party, said that] he favoured neither a free vote nor a referendum, but that there might have to be a General Election to ratify] an agreement if one were, reached. The comments came at separate press conferences in! the campaigns leading to the General Election on June 18. Some observers have criticised the political parties for trying to keep the Common Market issue in the background.

New Peers i The veteran Socialist, Mr I Emanuel Shinwell, who once punched an Opposition member in Parliament and was suspended from the House for a time, is one of nine new life peers. At 85, “Manny," as he is affectionately known, was the oldest member of the House of Commons. He retired as an M.P. when Parliament was dissolved for the General Election. He had held several Cabinet portfolios.

The new peers are all [former M.P.'s and include lone woman, Lady Tweedsnunr, a Conservative, who [was defeated in the 1966 General Election. Other Conservatives honoured are Sir Edward Boyle, a former Minister of Education; Mr Nigel Birch, who was Air Minister in 195'-57; and Sir John VaughanMorgan. Sir Edward Boyle, who is 46 and has left politics to become Vice-Chancellor of Leeds University, resigned from the Conservative Government in 1956 over the Suez affair. He has also clashed with party colleagues because of his liberal views on immigration. Former Labour M.P.’s among the new peers are Sir Eric Fletcher, Sir Barnett Janner, Mr James Hoy and Mr Joseph Slater.

i| Faster Flight I rp rp • 10l okyo jj Aircraft on the British J Overseas Airways Corpora- • tion's new service from Lon- j don to Tokyo, via Moscow! and across Siberia, cover the 6224-mile-long route in 14 hours, three hours less than i on the previous fastest route, . across the North Pole. ; A well-defined corridor 10 p .miles wide has been agreed! , for the eastwards flight from! Moscow. i About 100 women con-! .Strollers have been trained ini ,1 English and installed at 12 points along the .{route. , Throughout the flight, the '{airliners are kept under .{radar surveillance, and any !straying from its corridor {will be instructed to make 5 good its course. | It is hoped that the route [will be used eventually by the Concorde supersonic jet {airliner, which could cover j the distance in nine hours and 54 minutes.