EMPIRE CONCORD

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 188, 8 May 1944, Page 4

EMPIRE CONCORD

Sound Progress, Says Mr. Fraser NO SINGLE VOICE FOR EMPIRE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 8. Tile present Imperial discussions in London are firmly based on the principles of the Atlantic Charter, said the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Air. Fraser, at the first full Press conference here today. "Both the dead and the living,” he declared, “would be betrayed if these (principles were not adhered to.” The talks had been very satisfactory, said Mr. Fraser. Great unanimity had been achieved, and this unanimity, which extended to discussions on foreign policy, was based on the grounds that the nations of the Umpire were not out to gain anything other than the defeat of the tyrant and the aggressor. Outlining New Zealand’s achievements in the present war —with special reference to the Maoris —Mr. Fraser told a story that symbolizes her spirit. Before the Japanese descended on the Southern Pacific New Zealand possessed but two anti-aircraft guns, he revealed. One they mounted on Mount Victoria in Wellington and the other on Mount Victoria in Auckland. They might have done more harm there to civilians than to Japanese. Nevertheless, they stood for and upheld the New Zealanders’ morale. When the Japanese threat came, those two guns were sent to Fiji, leaving the Dominion with none. Today is was a different story. Today New Zealand had more armaments than she had manpower to man them. Council Compromise. Mr. Fraser said he had an open mind on the proposal for an Empire secretariat. “If more meetings can be arranged between the Prime Ministers, Ministers of External Affairs, and so on,” he said, “I am all for it. Such meetings must be in the interests not only of the British Commonwealth but of the whole world.” If they could be arranged he would be happy to extend an invitation to Wellington for the first meeting. In this connexion Mr. Fraser expressed strong disagreement with the suggestion that on any future international body there should be only one voice for the Commonwealth. “It cannot be done.” he said. “We all have different problems, and I will not presume or dare to speak on questions affecting the internal policy of other Dominions.” Mr. Fraser said he was certain that the Dominion Prime Ministers were such good democrats that a satisfactory compromise could <be reached. He emphatically rebutted a suggestion that Mr. Churchill was trying to dominate the Empire or the Prime Ministers’ conference. “Neither he nor anyone on God’s earth is able to do that.” The exchange of information was working excellently, he continued. On trade and commerce and foreign affairs New Zealand had been given adequate material to form her own judgment. She was consulted at every point. Planned Immigration. Speaking of immigration. Mr. Fraser said he wobld welcome this. With a population of barely one and three-quarter millions, the Dominion had room for a vastly greater number. The men of her own armed forces must, however, be resettled first. Fifty to TO per cent, of the houses now being produced were for these men. Britain, too, had her own resettlement problems, in which huge labour resources would be needed. New Zealand wanted builders, but so would Britain. Immigration must be thought out and planned with such problems in view. The most favourable typo of immigration, perhaps, would be that of industrial firms. New Zealand would welcome these —and their machinery. Regarding the possible duration of the war against Japan, Mr. Fraser said: “The war with Germany must come first. If our attack is a success, the Pacific war might finish in 1946. If it were a great success Japan might bo laid low next year.” Mr. Brendan Bracken. Minister of Information, in thanking Mr. Fraser, paid a warm tribute to the Dominion, "chock full of guts, which has set an example of gallantry in this world —an example to every nation, including the Mother Country.”