CANBERRA AGREEMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 January 1944, Page 5

CANBERRA AGREEMENT

CONFERENCE CONCLUDED

EASY CO-OPERATION

CANBERRA, January 19 Comnlete agreement on all 01 me important matters has been reached at the Australia-New Zealand Mm isterial conference. The gathering will end with the drawing up and signing of a formal agreement between the two Dominions at a publisession on Friday. nn nfnrThe mam decision of the coniei ence at its final business session today was that Australia and New Zealand will support the establishment of an international avia non authority to have P OS i- wa L I c °ou n 1 of international air routes. All coun tries, however, must nave, the righ., to control internal air services within their own territories. The Australian War Cabinet meeting will be attended by the New Zealand Ministers on Thursday, when present and future co-opera-tion between the two countries m the conduct of the war will be discussed. A full aviation agreement has been reached. Meanwhile, tne conference agenda was cleared up. Expert staffs will prepare a general agreement for formal signing on Friday. They will also work next week in formulating inachmery” points still undecided. The conference was expected to hold daily sittings throughout this week. Lie unexnected speed with .ybich x»- has completed the broad outline ot its business has been largely .he result of extensive preliminary arrangements made by both Dominions staff of experts.

CIVIL AVIATION

CANBERRA, January 19. Other announced achievements or the earlier sessions of the conference were:— ~ , (1) An agreement that the two Governments will act together in such matters as the control of territories, native welfare and com-' munications. (2) An agreement to establish a South Seas Regional Commission with advisory powers, with Great Britain, the United. States and France as other probable members. (3) An exchange of assurances that both countries will acquaint each other of their views on matters of common interest before expressing their views elsewhere, in order that these views may be presented to the world with as much unity as possible. (4) A clear understanding by both countries of each other’s ideas on post-war strategical needs in the Southern Pacific. . .. The conference decision on civn aviation was released m a joint official statement by Mr. Fraser and Dr. Evatt. which said: “It was agreed that civil aviation should be subject to the general principle of international collaboration, and that air transport services should be included within the terms of a convention, which would supersede the existing international convention on aerial navigation—with powers revised and extended, not only to regulate such matters as safe flying and navigation, but also to control all international air trunk lines. The two Governments agreed to support the principle that ownership, operation and control of international routes should be vested in an international air authority.’’ Support of this principle was subject to an understanding that: (1) . International trunk routes should be specified as part of any international agreement for air transport. (2) The right of each country to conduct all services within its own territorial jurisdiction, “including services to and from its own contiguous territories,” would be recognised, subject to agreed international requirements regarding safety and the commitments of the proposed international air authority as regards facilities, mnding and transit rights for international services, exchange of mails, etc. “The would also require that a due proportion of Australian and New Zealand personnel, agencies, and materials, and of the general resources of the two countries should be used in the operation and management of international trunk routes.” It is understood that New Zealand’s and Australia’s separate submissions to the conference on postwar aviation control, which is regarded as a subject of vital concern for the future of world peace, ran on exactly the same lines. The scheme finally accepted for joint advocacy would, it is explained, permit. Australia and New Zealand, in common with all countries, to operate not only,, their internal mainland air services but also the air services to island territories under their direct control. Thus Australia would be free to operate services to Papua, and New Zealand could establish its own direct air link with Samoa. Services between Australia and New Zealand, however, would come under the international authority New Zealand's and Australia’s joint views on post-war aviation are now expected to be forwarded to the British Government as a preliminary to their Empire discussion, probably by the forthcoming Prime Ministers' Conference. It is hoped that an imperial agreement may bo rhe first step towards preliminary international talks.

AUSTRALIAN HOPES

(N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Concspondeut)

(Reed. 9.35) CANBERRA, Jan. 19. The agreement on all matters by the Australian-New Zealand Ministerial Conference is authoritatively accepted here as the substantial first step along the road of imperial consultation and collaboration. Such co-operation inside the single political unit of the British Commonwealth of Nations, it is felt, must form the core of any new world order. The Anzac Government talks have dominated Australian political news. Their significance is being placed much above the protection of common interests of the two countries. Indeed, these talks are seen as pointing the way to vital post-war co-operation in the broad international sphere. Now that Australia and New Zealand have reached an agreement on their own common concerns, permanent machinery is being devised for .continuous consultation. The High Commissioners of the two countries will be given added facilities; a permanent "secretariat is 'certain to be established while other important liaison work will be carried out through the extension of the scope of the Australian-New Zealand External Affairs Departments. Additional suggestions for collaboration include the creation of standing joint committees on matters of common interests. More frequent Anzac conferences are certain. and it is possible a later meetingmay be held at Wellington. Australia is believed to have already proposed further talks on postwar 'economics of both mdions. Leading Australian spokesmen outside the conference, including the former Commonwealth Prime Minister Sir Earle Page, have pointed out the importance to Australia of New Zealand’s development. Emphasis has been placed on the industrial sphere in which Sir E. Page considers New Zealand should be treated as one of the constituent States of the Commonwealth.

New Zealand’s adverse trade balance with Australia has also, been the subject of comment. The bonds which the present conference has cemented, it is believed, would be further strengthened by continuous interchange of administrative representatives between Australia and New Zealand. Thus in a few years, an important pool of experts would be created with knowledge of the affans of both countries. In the larger sphere of Southern Pacific regional collaboration, no time has been set for the suggested conference of representatives of United. Kingdom, United States, France, Australia and New Zealand. But such a conference is unlikely until after the Imperial Prime Ministers’ meeting m London, since agreement and co-op-eration within the Empire is accepted, by both Australia and New Zealand as a basic necessity for collaboration with broader Allied interests.

N.Z. MINISTERS’ PROGRAMME

CANBERRA, January 10. Following the Canberra Conference Mr. Fraser is expected to remain in Canberra to meet the members of the Federal Executive of the .Australian Labour Party. Mr. M. Moohan, the Secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party, will attend a special meeting of the Australian Executive. Mr. Jones is likely to return to New Zealand next week together with the advisory staff accompanying the Ministerial delegates. Mr. Webb will remain for a period in Australia to investigate labour problems.

MR. BEASLEY’S COLLAPSE

CANBERRA, January 19. After attending Tuesday’s and today’s sessions of the Australia-New Zealand Ministerial Conference, the Commonwealth Minister for Shipping and Supplv, Mr. Beasley, collapsed m his office. He is suffering acutely from a painful form of neuritis, which is aggravated by physical exhaustion caused by overwork. He has been ordered to bed for several weeks. Mr. Beasley, who has been m bad. health for some time, is regarded as one of Australia’s outstanding Ministers. He came to Canberra especially for the inter-Dominion talks, against medical advice and the wishes of the Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin. The Prime Minister has now ordered Mr. Beasley a complete rest from bis official duties, and his portfolios will be taken over by the Minister of External Affairs, Dr. Evatt, who will be assisted by the Minister of Munitions, Mr. Makin. •>