FUTURE SECURITY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 120, 16 February 1944, Page 4

FUTURE SECURITY

Close Union With U.S.A. Advocated

GENERAL RUSSELL’S VIEWS

A close union between the British Commonwealth of Nations and the United S'tates of America was advocated b Major-General Sir Andrew Russell, K.C.8., K.C.M.G., in an address on “Our Future Security” at the EnglishSpeaking Union’s rooms, Wellington, lust night, under the auspices of the Wellington Returned Services Association. Colonel C. H. Weston, president of tiie association, presided. During the past 100 years. Sir Andrew said, Australia and New Zealand had grown up and reached a fair measure of development. In that time their security had been guaranteed by the British Navy. A small nation of 40.000,000 people had been able to police the world, but the margin of security had been gradually dwindling, aud the burden was becoming too great for the British Navy alone. In 1914 had it not been for America coming in on the side of the Allies the outcome would have been very problematical. The entry of Japan in the present war had completely altered the outlook, but America’s entry on the side of the Allies had redressed the balance in our favour. New Zealand and Australia in future could not rely on the British Navy and the British people to afford them that protection which was necessary for their security. . . _ “We must bring the British Common- • wealth of Nations into close union with the United States of America,” he continued. “If this is done, we can look forward with confidence to the future.’ Something more than a written treaty would be needed. Both countries would have to take their orders from a constituent body. There would be difficulties. but these would have to be overcome. The position of Australia and New Zealand, in face of the teeming millions of Asia, was most precarious; these countries were too isolated altogether. A free China would do much to bring about peace in the Pacific. The Chinese had the same ethics and the same outlook on life as ourselves, and this nation could gradually wean Japan from the abominable ethics it held today, Japanese culture had its roots in Chinese culture, and the temper of Japan today only showed what a dangerous thing isolation could be.

The United States of America contained citizens from all over Europe, yet America shared the satire _ language, ideals, ethics, and outlook on life as Britons did, and it would be much more easy to work harfd-in-hand with them than with, say, Frenchmen. Union was better cemented by the same ethical outlook on life than by geographical boundaries. The two great dominant nations in the world were the British Common-wealth of Nations and the United States of America, and in their linking up confidence would beget confidence, nd generosity would beget generosity. “If a union takes places, don’t let us quarrel over such things as air bases,” Sir Andrew urged. The conference at Canberra had been a step in the right direction, but, after all. New Zealand and Australia were only junior partners in the nations which had interests in the Pacific.

Power politics would not come to an end with this war. Russia would form the nucleus of as powerful a group as anv other, and what Moscow would say would go. China, with the absorption of a part of Japan, would form another group. There would be a period of verygreat chaos in Europe when the war came to an end. Heaven knew how many people who had been torn from their homes would have to be repatriated. The aim of the sane nations was to see that there was peace where freedom could flourish. A Britisher did the right thing if he knew what it was. If we could discover the right way of life other nations would ask to be admited into our group. “There is no question of whether the Lord is on our side; the question is whether we are on the Lord's side,” Sir Andrew continued. “The kind-hearted statesmen of the eighteenth century 'de cided to improve on Christianity, and we have been trying to do this for a long time, but we haven’t made much of a. fist of it. There are certain eternal principles which govern plants and human*beings, and these were not made by man, but were given by God. A great deal has been heard about the new order, but I am inclined to agree with Field Marshal Smuts that the Man of Galilee remains our one and only leader.'' A vote of thanks was passed to Sir Andrew Russell for his address, on the motion of Colonel A. Cowles, seconded by the Hon. W. Perry. Brigadier-Gen eral IV. H. Cuniiuigham also thanked Sir Andrew for bis thought-provoking address.