UNITY OF VIEWS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21066, 10 April 1943, Page 4

UNITY OF VIEWS

BRITAIN AND U.S. MR. EDEN’S MISSION !_ - ■ WAR AND PEACE ISSUES Telegraph—Press Asan. —Copyright.J (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April S. “I felt couviuecd.-.that no mission of which 1 have ever been in charge was so, "Fundamentally■-worth while as tlua/Tthe Foreign Secrotary, Mr. Anthony" Kden, told' the House of Commons when he made a statement on Ms, recent visit to the United States and ;,C&nada,: Thihternnt of the communique issued on hi&: arrival were very wide and ho could-assure the House that the discussions had been equally wide. Mr. Eden referred to the cordiality of his; recCptioxU in both tho United i StatesPand Canada, andJ.saicL .that,; with' the full approval of Mr.. Wmstoni Churchill, he had invited Mr. Cordell Hull; Secretary of State, to visit Britain at . any time convenient to him.::;), ' . ;:'L---v. . - Describing his informal discussions With .numbers of, the 'Congress ‘I oreign; 'Relations Committee, eMr.Jbdcp. said that they had exchanged views froely.- off. the record.- and to-his very ‘■great, advantage. Mr. ' Eden thpii; IplstCPd ?i s conversations undci three Sheading's: ; , - :.G Military Operations " Firat, military operations ‘‘not normally, under the, aegis of : the l‘proign> Office and questions which arise always in Wartime between- Allies en-. gaged in a common struggle.” un those•' "subjects, both parties were sdtisPgdQyitk, thC; ( progress made. Secohdly; -political'' co-operation. Mr. Eden Baid-thatjas the. war progressed -it became ever more ‘important 'ptihat there should be close cooperation (between. the _ military, and politicaT sphere. For instance, wit h regatd-tb-North. Africa, ; there was-no doublTthai/lit was felt in the United States there had been some misunderstanding in this- country of tho_ purpose of the .United States Admmistiatiou in keeping up relations with Vichy. ■ -

“I cap assuro tho.Tlousa. that their motives were not of special tenderness for Vichy,” said Mr. Eden. “They thought and were agreed that, by maintaining relations with Vichy, it would bo possible to keep open a useful-window on Europe. I have no doubt wo were right and they were right.-'* • ■.

' '..Rents' in; North Africa It was only, through tho maintenance of those relations that the American Government vyas-able -tq-place a considerable number 'of agents in North Africa who. wore .invaluable in paving; thbiJirrival of Allied troops. ,<jpite-clear to him,- ho ,added', that marlyin- the United! States felt that Britain attributed, to them a tenderness for Vichy, Marshal,Petain,.M. Laval and the rest which th'9y-,.did,hot. feel,., -■-, He" was satisfied that, as regards future; policy . towards France; there was .hcomplefe‘,; dgieement between Britain and the United States. Both had .only, one . desire—to see that all sections;;p| the,.French people who were (.prepared 1 to light the* common enemy .were united together. BeggrdingVthe' extension of a com-; mon -policy-qa respect of .Spain, Portugal , and -j Turkey, ..Mr.;-, Eden said a policy had been agreed upon. As regards',',the ;occ.upied : countries, ; there, was only, one policy that Britain and the United" States were pursuing—to do all-in their power to restore them to full!liberty atl.the earliest possible moment. ; . ( , .. The - thjrd-headmg,covered a wide rangehpfi queftio'xiip.xneluding practical problems which would arise on the surrender of the enemy. The task that would face Britain, tlio United States, Russia, China, and tho other United Nations would be to safeguard the world against further aggression. Similarity of Outlook

“Y/e botf?Thave" a very 'close sinYtl larity ialMflook," said Mt. Eden. “Admittedly the exchanges- were eiis, tirely <j of atS exploratory character and neither ’committed the United States Government nor ourselves, the last thingAlire wanted to /do was ■to confine,..out-Allies to hard, facts and rules. ' ; 1?! ’", ISpeafeiiig'- of relations between Britain and the United States, ho said it tu—attempt to. base) these:’relation's mainly, on sentiment, but .they should be based on true foundations —common interest in the maintenance pfjworld and-pru-ventffig a repetition of these catastrophic'ireorld conflicts. If -wo .could keep to that foundation, we would be m less danger of ups and downs we have sometimes seen in Anglo-American, relations. He believed, that definition to be .profoundly true and well understood on both sides of .the Atlantic. VMjJ here, recognised the need for some-authority to ensure by forco that neither Germany, Italy, nor Japan should be able to repeat aggression, and JEie believed the American people shared this view. He had reported to the United States that, in Britain, there* was no disposition, when the struggle was over, to -trust' to duck and hope for the best,- and he,found exactly: the;same .mood in Amonca. Therefore, he would say that while it would be the height of unwisdom to cease’to concentrate our forces and efforts on the main task of winning the v?ar, it would be a- mistake to obstruct . purselvcs with any. prolonged debates on post-ivar problems. In-v conclusion, Mr. Eden paid a striking tribute to the : war efforts of both'ithe United States and Canada. / T* ,|| .. ■■■ ■■■■—