EMPIRE AND WORLD SITUATION- Mr Bevin Places Facts Before Conference

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 October 1948, Page 7

EMPIRE AND WORLD SITUATIONMr Bevin Places Facts Before Conference

(Rec 11 a.m.) ~ L , LONDON, Octooer 19. At the morning and afternoon meetings today, the Prime Ministers attending the Commonwealth Conference continued their review ol the international situation, with particular reference to Europe and tne West, says a communique from No 10 Downing Street. A very full discussion was opened with a comprehensive survey of foreign affairs by the Foreign Secretary. Mr Ernest Bevin, adds the communique. The Prime Ministers agreed upon the importance of the maintenance and revival of democracy in Europe. There was general agreement with the policy of supporting and making more effective the United Nations by all practicable m Mr S E. Shinwell and Mr A. V, Alexander were among the British Ministers present. The Chiefs of Staff, including Lord Cunningham (navy). Lord Tedder (air force) and Mr Malcolm MacDonald (Commis-sioner-General in Maiaya) took pai in the discussions.

Western Union And Empire Mr Bevin began his review last week when he dealt with the Middl East and Far East. His survey of the European situation was held over until Mr St Laurent (Canada) could be present. _, _ . , The main points of Mr Bevin s survey today were Western Union and its relations witn the British Commonwealth, the conflict with the Soviet, including the steps taken to meet the Soviet blockade, and the Atlantic Pact, in which Canada has a particular interest. The whole day was devoted to Mr Bevm’s survey and the views of the Dominions on the main points he made. Reuter’s political correspondent says that Mr Bevin gave the Dominion leaders his considered appraisal of the likely impact of Western Union on Commonwealth policy. According to a usually well-in-formed source, one issue oi foreign policy already discussed was the United States proposal that the Antarctic territories should be placed under an eight-nation condominium. The British Commonwealth is believed to be sympathetic to the principle of the proposal. No information is available whether the Commonwealth delegates'as a whole lavoui

Question Of Secretariat , It is considered unlikely that the Commonwealth Prime Ministers conference will go to the length of recommending the setting up of a permanent Commonwealth secretanat organisation, but there is a strong feeling,' after the preliminary discussions, that the machinery lor m-ter-Commonwealth consultation will be improved and extended writes E. G Webber, special correspondent ot the New Zealand Press Association. This may take the form of exchanges of key civil servants, and may in some cases necessitate changes in the organisation of some Dominions’ representation in London. In economic matters, it is ‘felt that the Sterling Area Statistical Committee and the Commonwealth Liaison Committee on the European Recovery Programme, which are the chief existing reporting bodies, are both doing valuable work in keeping the Dominions in touch with economic developments and-'the state of sterling and hard currency reserves

Search For Formula

It has become apparent that the problem of finding some formula which will allow countries like India

to remain within the Commonwealth association is economic as well as political. One of the great advantages of the Commonwealth association to the participating, countries is that they are able to extend to each other most-favcured-nation treatment in their trade dealings. If, however, India severed its links with the Crown and at the same timedecided to remain within the Commonwealth, foreign countries might argue that India would be no longer entitled to most-lavourecl-nation treatment by the remainder of • the Commonwealth or that foreign countries on the same constitutional basis as India were equally entitled to demand most-favoured-nation treatment from the rest of the Commonwealth. The same argument would apply to Eire if she cut herself completely adrift from the Commonwealth. Bilateral Trade Agreements

The economic advisers of the Dominion Prime Ministers have been discussing in greater detail than was possible last week the effect of the Large number of bilateral trading agreements which the United Kingdom has contracted with foreign countries. It is generally conceded by the Dominions that in the present economic condition of the world these bilateral arrangements are the most practical immediate means by which Britain can extend her trade. Nevertheless there is a feeling that if this system continues to extend, the quantities of capital goods absorbed by it may become so great that the Dominions may find it difficult to obtain their own essential requirements from the United Kingdom. The meetings between economic advisers have led to a full exchange of views and information on these matters. The Dominions’ delegates have also continued their study of the details of Britain’s four-year recovery plan. This plan includes certain assumptions about the quantities of goods and raw materials the various Dominions will sell to the United Kingdom between now and 1952, and the Dominions have been checking and analysing these assumptions in the light of their own supply conditions and production estimates.