DURATION OF WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 49, 27 February 1945, Page 5

DURATION OF WAR

HOPEFUL VIEW TAKEN Rec. 10.30 a.m. LONDON, Feb. 26. A hopeful view of the duration of the Pacific 'war was taken by Sir Andrew McFadyean, leader of the British delegation to the conference of the Institute of Pacific Relations at Hot Springs on his return to London. He I said: "While we most certainly must be prepared for a long war there is such obvious weakness in the Japanese situation that there might be a much more rapid crumbling than we I are entitled to count on.

"I am thinking in particular of the enormous and accumulated shipping losses which the Japanese have suffered."

He added that there would be much more pressure upon the Imperial Powers to look upon themselves as trustees both for dependent areas themselves and for the world at large. There was no objection to this provided the form of accountability did not interfere with the administrative responsibility of the Imperial Powers. Sir Andrew McFadyean said that while there was general recognition in America of the absolute necessity of complete co-operation between America and the British Commonwealth there was a certain reluctance to will the means as well as the end. There was also a great deal of ignorance of Britain's record of achievement.