BRITISH WAR CABINET

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 February 1942, Page 5

BRITISH WAR CABINET

DOMINIONS’ PARTICIPATION SPEECH BY SIR EARLE PAGE • RUGBY, February 15. Speaking at Bradford to-day on Empire participation in the War Cabiuet. Sir Earle Page, Australia’s special representative in London, said: “I was sent to London to find a workable means of solving the problem of continuous consultation between the Empire governments. A plan has now been worked out which I think will enable Australia and the other Dominions if they so desire to take a full share in the direction ol the war. “The problem of the Australian Government has been to find a method of exerting influence sufficiently early in the formative stages of policy. To do this it is essential that the Dominion Government should have full knowledge of all the facts, developments, and trends in policy. This knowledge must be obtained in clearly expressed views before decisions are made. It must have an opportunity of placing before the key men of various departments, such as the services and supply and the Foreign Office, the Australian point of view while policy is still fluid. Its representatives should have an opportunity of presenting to and discussing with the War Cabinet any suggestions as to new policy that Australia might from time to lime desire to submit. . -As a result of our experience and discussions over the last three months a system of inter-governmental consultation lias now been arranged by Britain to the Dominions by which these essentials can be obtained over the whole field of warlike activity. The British War Cabinet machinery consists of three parts. B irst, there is the liaison machinery between all the departments of State. This enables a continuous flow of information to be sent to the second part—a defence committee which includes the Chiefs of Staff. The committee’s decisions are accepted or rejected bv the War Cabinet, which is the third part of the machinery. "The machinery now being made available to handle the situation will permit the fullest advantage of information at all levels at which contact between the Governments takes place. It includes the accrediting ol a special representative to the British War Cabinet, gives him facilities and opportunities of securing knowledge from British departmental sources lor carrying out his task, and makes available to him all information known to other members of the War Cabinet. ~ “At the same time it provides means to make contacts to enable tne Australian point of view to be put to all British departments.

LIAISON OFFICERS

“An essential feature of this organisation is the appointment by the different Dominions of liasion officers. Their function is to contact men of their own rank in the different services and supply departments while policy is in the actual making. This contact is specially necessary at that point in the department in which the general view of the whole subject matter is being discussed at a stage where a summary can be prepared for those higher up, who have a bird’s eye view of the situation. At this point oral discussion between the Australian representative and a British departmental official will secure Australian colour in the picture. , , . “Higher up the scale, as actual policy takes shape, further departmental consultation may be necessary, while at the highest plane, the War Cabinet, discussion will take place. This indispensable vertical liaison that interlocks the depart- * mental view of the two Governments ■it different levels will need very little additional staff. The Australian representative in the defence commitice of the War Cabinet will be in a position to argue the case on an equal fooling with other represented Gov“Britain is making this machineiy available not merely to the Dominion Governments for Empire consultation but also an approved modification or it to the Dutch Government as far as the Pacific War Council is concerned. The Pacific War Council with its facilities becomes in effect a delence committee for the area it contiols. “THE PRIMARY PURPOSE.”

LONDON, February 16. “The Times,” in a leading article declares: “The fall of Singapoi e and the escape of the German warships from Brest have given a sharper edge to the disappointment and anxiety which the course of the war in tne Pacific has aroused along the whole Allied front.” “The Times” adds: “Some ol the criticisms are misplaced, but then whole purpose is to stimulate a greater and better co-ordinated eflort. That criticism can only be welcomed by the administration as reinforcing its authority to subordinate every other interest and consideration to the primary, purpose of winning tne war The spirit ol the British people is demanding that the Government shall match its own determination, and shall express it in an uneding, ruthless search for efficiency, without due regard for things or persons. ATTACK ON BEAVERBROOK. CALCUTTA, February 16. „ In an article in “The Statesman, Mr Arthur Moore, the editor, bitterly attacks Lord Beaverbrook. He says: “I charge Lord Beaverbrook with being the author of our vicissitudes in Libya, or our disasters in Crete, and of our lack of preparation in the Far East. He is the evil genius of the Inner Cabinet. Let him be made Duke of anything; but, in Heaven s name, let him resign quickly He has never been right. Someone should tell 'the truth abort I this man. He wifi be our ruin if he remains in office.