PRECIOUS THING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 57, 5 September 1944, Page 4

PRECIOUS THING

FRIENDSHIP WITH U.S.

DUTY OF PUBLIC MEN

Although he 'did not overlook or under-value the contributions by the other nations in the present world struggle for fundamental principles of humanity, the most important factor in the world today for the . future of humanity was the friendship between the United States and the British Commonwealth, said the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) at the State luncheon given yesterday to Mr. K. S. Patten, United States Minister to New Zealand. That friendship, said Mr. Fraser, was a precious possession, and those who were in public positions—and this applied to all their allies—had a responsibility not to say or to do anything that would frustrate that friendship or the objectives of that friendship with all the United Nations. Difficulties arose, continued Mr. Fraser. There were disappointments and suspicions and there were matters that might not win the approval of all, but they had to be patient and tolerant; they must not be responsible for dissevering the unity of the nations by word or deed. "Above all, as far as we in the Pacific are concerned," said Mr. Fraser, "it is absolutely imperative that our friendship with, the United States should not be impaired in any way, but should grow and be strengthened as the years go by. * "I have said in the United States, in Britain, and here in New Zealand that there is no question of defence bases, of civil aviation, of territory, or any other matter that I can think of that can give any possible justification for any difference of opinion or bad feeling between our nations, between the nations of the British Commonwealth, and the United States. These problems fall into categories that can be solved with common sense, good will, and friendship. ..." GKEAT STAGE IN HISTORY. The problems that were ahead were the problems that were moulding and would mould humanity for centuries to come. We were at a great stage in human history. These hours did not come often in the history of mankind. There were conferences among- representatives of the United Nations on the decisions of which the future of mankind depended. Mr. Fraser referred to the food conference, the relief and rehabilitation, and monetary conferences which have been held, and the conference sitting at the present time to deal with the question of the world organisation for world security. He said he wondered if they had grasped the fact that today nations and Governments, not financial institutions, were meeting for the purpose of achieving a sound monetary system that would help the other nations. That was never contemplated previously in history. At least, there was no serious attempt to translate contemplation if there was any, into actuality. All these conferences were based upon the necessity of giving the peoples of the earth, the ordinary folk of the earth, the chance to live in peace and prosperity under the principles laid down in the Atlantic Charter—freedom from want and fear. Mr. Fraser referred to the opening of the library by the United States War Office of Information in Wellington and of the importance of a knowledge of American history. Likewise, he said, it was important that the United States understood Britain and the British Commonwealth, and there were some things perhaps that were not so easy to explain, as, for example, the fact that the freer the British nations had become the closer they were drawn together and the fact that the more they had attained sovereignty the more they had rallied round their Mother Country. We had been through the fire of war and were closer together in one great democratic mass than ever before. We were part and parcel of the British contribution to world progress. "There are many things we have to do, many things that are not up to the standard we want to set among nations that will have to be rectified," added Mr. Fraser, "but there is no .limit to the progress of the British people any more than to the prpgress of the United States." CRITICAL POSTWAR PERIOD. Reference to the continued need of unity among nations after the war was also made by Mr. Patton. "The postwar period of economic, and political adjustments will be no' less critical than the period of armed conflict which it will supplant," he said. "It will be recalled that the last great war was to makefile world a fit place for heroes to live in-, but the military victory of- 1918 was but the prelude of another war .and of another galaxy of heroes. Are we to forget again all the vivid tragedy of war during which patient women wait anxiously for the return of peace and their men, some of whom will never return and some of whom will come back crippled, distorted wrecks of manhood? "The victory which is being won by the gallantry and the combined efforts of the forces struggling to crush totalitarianism, autocracy, and aggression will be only an incident in the march of time unless the post-war problems of peace are faced with the same loyalty, unity of purpose, and unselfish effort as that which made of the peoples of the United Nations staunch comrades in arms. DEFINITE PLAN NECESSARY. "To win the peace, these "°high qualities of loyalty, unity of purpose, and unselfishness will have to be realised without the stimulus of immediate danger to our institutions and our loved ones and without the excitement of the thrill of battle.' But a general agreement in regard to desirable objectives will not be enough. A*idefinite project, plans for which, have been the object of serious study for some time by the United States and the other interested Governments, must be adopted, implemented, and integrated if the post-war settlement is to be an effective barrier to future world unrest. "We must remember that the scourge of war is an ever-present threat and we must not forget that eternal vigilance and the constant unity of the peoples who believe in human rights are the only bulwarks against war and that understanding fellowship is the only guarantee of peace."