BELGIAN POLICY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21582, 8 December 1944, Page 5

BELGIAN POLICY

BRITISH FRIENDSHIP PLEDGES FOR FUTURE WAR AGAINST JAPAN LONDON. Dec. 6. The essential factor of Belgian foreign policy was the friendship with Britain, said M. Spaak, Foreign Minister, in the foreign affairs debate in the Chamber of Deputies. The new era of foreign policy had dawned with the German aggression in 1940, which had ended Belgian neutrality. It was natural that Belgium, waging war beside the Allies, should march solidly with them. Hence Belgium had declared war against Italy ana Japan. “Our position regarding Japan is clear,” he added. “We, as a signatory to the Washington Treaty, are pledged to pursue our war effort to final victory not only regarding Germany but also Japan. I attach, especial importance to this undertaking. Our essential duty after the war will be not to disinterest ourselves in the Pacific struggle. We must assist America, China, the British Empire and Holland with all the means in our power and demonstrate in a tangible manner that international solidarity is not empty words to us.” M. Spaak hoped that the France and Belgium__of to-morrow would be able to stand united in the task o: reconstruction. “If, united as we are with Luxemburg and Holland, we can stand side by side with France and thus form the kernel of an economic entente in the strength of our riches and the riches of our colonies, we can look confidently to the future,” he added. “Happy Interventions” Regarding Britain, M. Spaak said: “We owe Britain in an important measure our independence in 1930 our restored liberty in 1918, and oui miraculous liberation in 1944. This impressive repetition of the decisive and happy interventions allows us to declare with greater strength than evet that the guiding principle of oui foreign policy is friendship with Britain.” . ... . „ M. Spaak paid a tribute to the sacrifices of the Russian people and said it was certainly the wish ot small countries that the agreement between the great Allies who won the war should be maintained in peace. Regarding Germany, M. Spaak said Belgium demanded a hard'peace politically and economically, adding: “The recurrence of the double tragedy in 1914 and 1940 must be prevented at all costs. It is a matter of life and death for us.” M. Spaak said he was unable at present to indicate what he meant by a hard peace. Belgium should not at the moment fix the limit of her claims, but if the consequences of the war were that Germany was parcelled out—and this was possible —then “we should not refuse this providential chance of assuring our security for a long time to come. Germany must be militarily and economically disarmed.” Dealing with the post-war organisation of peace, M. Spaak said he wished that in the framework of collective security—in the spirit of the Anglo-Russian Treaty and the spirit which may exist to-morrow between Russia and France —the regional*-entente should be a sort of executive instrument for a policy of collective security.