Evening Post. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1927. TELLING THE TRUTH

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 73, 23 September 1927, Page 6

Evening Post. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1927. TELLING THE TRUTH

In his excellent speech on the. Singapore Base iho Minister of Defence crt'ated an interesting diversion by citing a not unfavourable opinion from an unexpected quarter. At the second Conference of the Institute of Pacific Relations one of the Dominion's rcpmteutnlives was Mr. Walter Nash, dud lo many the New Zealand branch of the Institute may have seemed to bo making a risky experiment in giving v third of its representation lo the Secretary of the Labour Parly. But the brief summary which the cable brought us of Mr. Nasli's opening statement at the General Session of the Conference on tho 16th July did not justify those fears, nor has the full text of the statement which* appears in the ollicinl report of the proceedings proved that the cabled summary was misleading. The paper is headed "A New Zealand Outlook on Pacific Affairs," and the writer's oflicial position "Secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party" is appended lo his name. Strictly speaking, it might bo Paid that lliis appcntlugo is irrelevant. It might nlso be argued thai llio addition was likely to create unnecessary/prejudice in the minds of delegates' from the country where "Labour" and "Radical" arc near akin, and "Radicalism" was the crime which first put the police on the track of Sacco nnd Vanzelli. Whniever weight may belong to these arguments, they were ruled out by ibe Institute's wise practice-of indicating the official position of every writer, fio that outsiders get some idea of his standing in his own country. The essential point is, however, that Uio title of Mr. Nash'a paper is not "A Labour Outlook on Pacific Affairs," but "A Now Zealand Outlook on Pacific Affairs." ll was the Now Zealand outlook that the Conlerence desired lo gel in accordance with the general specifications laid down for all the contributors to this part of the programme:— Jlitll'-hour atntoinnuU by rcprcgonlativcM of tho Novorul X'tiuiflis nroiiH Riving Dm outstanding Oiilurfri of I'nc.ifiij Rolutions sin viowed by each country. Special mnphnmH givi'ii lo development of tlio liisl, two yoin-H. 'J'lhi represonlntivo of ouch country in o.vpoctt'd lo bring Oilf; Hioro points on which liiii countrymon fflid (Iml tboy lmvo boon mislruiilod, and tlioHo in rofcronco to -wbicli tlioy thi^ik they nro misunderstood nnd jicrluipH conjured, l.oncl.hor willi llio outHtniuUng intenml and oxtorunl lirolilcina of each. It was not propaganda but: history that tho delegates were asked to supply,.and we have no hesitation in saying that if the Now Zealand branch of the Institute lmd been able to send its President, Sir James Allen, to Honolulu instead of Mr. Nash, the work could not have been more importtonally, more conscientiously, or nioro accurately done. And we should bo very much surprised if within iho limits of a "half-hour statement" running lo less than Bix octavo pages of print any other member of ili« branch could have Hatisfied tho specifications of the Institute in n manner at once fio comprehensive and so vivid. Mr, Wash's work may indeed be called without flattery v model of faithful ami pic lurcsquo condensation. Tho fundamental fact of New Zealand's external relations could not have been given greater prominence or emphasis than it received from Mr, Nusb. Wo quote the opening sentences of his first two paragraphs, and a complete paragraph from his summing up:— Now Hoalnnd is an inbigrul part of llio British Commonwon.il)) of Nations. Its outlook upon both internal und external problems 5s doisply nffoclod by its rolniiouNhip with tho other imllous within that Commonwealth, und by its view of tho obligations which mctnborahip in that Commonwealth involve*. . . . Now Zealand is oeuorithilly British in tradition, population, and outlook. ... In spirit tho country i» intoimoly Brltiidi, hoiuo Hfiy moro British than tho British. Wo' look nt mo«t problems through British nppcUuleu.' .In trado, intercourse, migration, uiu't flnunco wo look 18,000 miles ovorwns to tho Motherland. It may bo that wo carry this pol Joy to too grunt an cxl.romo, but you will find in nearly nil circlet) Unit England, Scotland, Ireland, nnd Waloß uro roforrod to an "Homo" and Iho "Old Country." Thin Is history, and history of a kind which, as was shown by the eurpriso expressed by Mr. J. Merle Davis, the General Secretary of the Institute, when ho mado the discovery for himBelf during bis visit to New Zealand last year, needs emphasising even among the people most closely akin to tis. For the purposes of local consumption, it is pleasant lo have iho fact ho sympathetically slated by a member of a parly which rarely touches our relations with the Old Country except in a spirit of criticism, dissent, ingratitude, and even hosliJily. Among iho "developments of the last two years" in New Zealand's external relations,it was impossible for a conscientious reporter to omit a reference to the Singapore Bubo. Mr. Nash quite properly inlroduccs tho Bubjcct us on illustration of his general statement that "in

mailers of foreign policy New Zealand rnrcly questions I lie attitude or policy of Crcnt Britain." True to this rule, Nfiw Zealand opinion supports the British policy in regard to Singapore. The arguments for and against the Base nro then briefly and fairly summarised, and the writer's own conclusions arc, slated, subject to three important conditions on which he expresses no opinion:— If it is ndmil.ted that it is dcsirablo to muko tho British Navy an effective instrument, in Clio P;irilH'.—-then a naval lihso is necessary nnd $ing'aporo is probably tho most, convenient place. . . . If J-lio en so i'or tho establishment of tho iJiiso is a.-.oeptod, *.nd the argument of tho i-fflcienuy of tho British Navy ns «i pence instrument admitted, then it in concet to say thut it would affo#d a complete defence to Australia and Now Zealand. This is tho rensou why tho Now Zonlund Government hus agreed—subject to continuation by Parliament,—to contribute, over a period of yours, a million pounds towards tho cost, of tho Baso. Tho urgo behind tho New Zealand Govonimcnt is purely ono of defence. It bolioves that the dovolopmont of tho Naval Br.no at Singapore in ossontinl nnd necessary to the woll-boiiiK of New Zealand, nnd, nd'milting this, it is correct and in order for New Zealand to mnko somo contribution towards the cost. Believing that; tho policy of tho Government is purely J'or defensive purposes a majority of Nmw Zcalnmlcrs support its policy. The use made of Mr. Wash's paper by the Minister of Defence and the altitude of the Labour Leader are indicated by the following extract from our report:— Mr. Kollestou rend extracts from Mr. Nnsh's speech in wlilchjie had said that Now Zealand opinion whh in favour of tho Ba»c. Mr. Holland: "It only shows how a good man cuu go wrong occasionally." (Laughter.) ... Tho Minister further said that Mr. Nash had Hinted that tho urgo behind tho New Zealand Government was purely one of defence. Mr. Holland: "And tho Now ZeaIninl Jjaboiir'inovomont will utterly rnpiiilialn Mr. Nnsh's statement." (Laughter.) A voice; "Ho wcnl Ihcro renrosontinp it." l Mr. .ltolloston wont on to say that . . . "believing thai, tho policy of the Government Is purely for defensive purposes," Mr. Nanli hurl Hinted, "tho majority of Now Zoulancler.s support the policy." Mr. Holland: "Thai; is simply not tiuo; that is nil." (Laughter.) The inlcrjeclor who said that Mr. Nash went to Honolulu to represent Labour was incorrect. Me went thorc to speak the truth, and it is because ho has done so that he lias provoked Mr. Holland into saying things that aro not true. Whatever sinister me lives he may impute to the British Government, it is sheer nonsense to | suggest that our Government has anything but defence in view: It is equally absurd to say thai it lias not the support of public opinion. "Anything but history," said Sir Robert Walpole, "for history must be false," and an ambassadov was defined by Sir Henry Wotlon as "an honest man sent to lie abroad for the commonwealth." If Mr. Nash had interpreted his duties at Honolulu us historian Hiid quasi-diplomat in tlie spirit of thest; remarks, ho would have pleased Mr. Holland. Mr. Holland's displeasure is his reward for telling the truth.