POST-WAR SECURITY

Evening Star, Issue 25169, 8 May 1944, Page 4

POST-WAR SECURITY

PROBLEM FOR DOMINION PREMIERS QUESTION OF COMMITMENTS Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright NEW YOKK, May 7. " One of the gravest political decisions bafore the dominion Prime Ministers is the extent, to which they can commit their countries in regard to the post-war occupation of Germany and police work in a world security organisation," says the London correspondent of the ' New York Times.' "In the past the dominions have maintained only small military and naval establishments, and never in peacetime contributed to a common pool of Empire defence, but the Prime Ministers now face the inevitably unpopular necessity of having to maintain considerable forces both in the European and Pacific areas after the *ar. "It is a question of committing themselves to a new principle of policy which they may later have to defend against those in their own countries who are opposed to military service outside their own territory,'' the correspondent adds. 'lt is clear that service in any international police force must be on a voluntary basis and the cost and size ot such an establishment would have to be voted by the dominion Parliaments." ALL VICISSITUDES WEATHERED. " The British Empire and Commonwealth, which is a constant object of envy and attack, has weathered all vicissitudes and survived every crisis, including the gravest in its existence—the present war," says the New York Times,' in an editorial commenting on (he Prime Ministers' conference. "It may no louger be able to claim pre-euiinence in a world in which Russia and America are bound to play at least equal roles, but the London conference lias demonstrated that it has become the freest and most liberal international organisation in history. Those of its members who have developed separate nationhood have become independent nations, and those who are too- small and too undeveloped to stand on their'bwn feet still prefer British rule to any other." The editorial points out that this development is a consequence of the American revolution, which " inspired that elastic, soft-gloved policy permitting other Empire members to develop into self-govern-ine This policy quickly reconciled Britain and America and forged the Anglo-American community with which every Power in the world must henceforth reckon in any crisis."