UNITY FOR DEFENCE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21964, 7 March 1946, Page 7

UNITY FOR DEFENCE

BRITAIN & U.S. CHURCHILL’S PLEA SHARING OF BASES U.S. PRESS REACTIONS (9 a.m.) NEW YORK, Mar. 6. Speaking at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, Mr. Winston Churchill made an eloquent plea for closer relations with the United States for defence. “I have no official mission or status,” he continued. “I speak only for myself. I can. therefore, allow my mind to play over the problems which beset us and try to make sure what has been gained with so much sacrifice and suffering shall be preserved for the future glory and safety of mankind. “The United States stands at this time at the pinnacle of world power. It is a solemn moment for_ American democracy. The opportunity is here now, clear and shining for both our countries. To reject it, ignore it or fritter it away will bring upon us all the long reproaches of aftertime. “It is necessary that, constancy of mind, persistency of purpose and grand simplicity of decision shall guide and rule our conduct in peace as in war. Must Guard People’s Homes

“The awful ruin of Europe, with all its banished glories and large parts of Asia, glares in our eyes. When the designs of wicked men or the aggressive urge of mighty States dissolve humble folk are confronted with difficulties with which they cannot cope. For them, all is distorted and broken, . “Our supreme task and duty is to guard the homes of the common people fro mthe horrors and miseries of another war. We are all agreed on that. “A world organisation has already been erected for the prime purpose of preventing war,” he continued. “The United Nations, the successor to. the League of Nations, with the. decisive addition of the United States, is already at work. . “We must make sure that its work is a fruitful reality and not a sham, that it is a force for action and not merely a frothing of words, that it is a true temple of peace wherein the shields of many nations can some day be and not merely a-cockpit in the lower of Babel. Proposal for Action “I have a definite and practical proposal for action. The United Nations must immediately be equipped with an international armed force. Therein we can go only step by step, but we must begin now. “I propose that each of the Power States should be invited to dedicate a certain number of air squadrons to the service of the world organisation. These should be trained in their own countries but would move around in rotation from one country to another. They would not be required to act against their own nation, but, in other respects, they would be directed by the United Nations. “It would nevertheless be wrong and imprudent to entrust the secret knowledge or experience of the atomic bomb which Britain, America and Canada now share to the world organisation while it is in its infancy. It would be criminal madness to cast it adrift in an agitated, disunited world, “The second danger which threatens the cottagers and ordinary people is tyranny. We cannot be blind to the fact that the liberties enjoyed by individual citizens throughout the British Empire are not valid in a considerable number of countries, some of which are very powerful. Therein control is enforced by various kinds of police and Governments contrary to every democratic principle. The Rights of Man

“We must unceasingly proclaim in fearless .tones .the great principles and rights of man, which our joint inheritance through the Magna Carta, Bill of Rights, Habeas Corpus, trial by jury and English common law find famous expression in the Declaration of Independence. “People everywhere should have power by constitutional action free and unfettered elections by secret ballot to choose or change the character or form of Government.

“I have not yet spoken of poverty. At .this sad, breathless moment we are plunged in.to hunger and distress which are the aftermath of our stupendous struggle. But this will pass and may pass quickly. There is no reason, except human folly or sub-human crime, which would prevent the inauguration of an age of plenty. English-Speaking Nations’ Unity

'T now come to the crux of what I have travelled here to say. Neither the sure prevention of war nor the continuous rise of the world organisation will be gained without the fraternal association of English-speak-ing peoples. This means a special relationship between the British Commonwealth and the United States. Fraternal association requires not only growing friendship and mutual understanding between our two vast but kindred systems, but also a continuance of the intimate relationships between our military advisers leading to a common study of potential dangers and. similarly, of weapons and manuals of instruction and an interchange of officers and cadets at the colleges. ‘lt should carry .the continuance of the present facilities for mutual security by the joint use of naval and air force bases in the possession of either country throughout .the world. This would double .the mobility of the American Navy and Air Force. It would greatly expand .that of the British Empire forces, and might welL lead, as the world calms down, t;o important financial savings. “Perilous Times Ahead” President Truman, in accepting an honorary degree, urged the implementation of the United Nations’ Charter as the “law of the land and the law of the world.” “There are perilous times ahead,” he declared. “The world is headed either for destruction or for the greatest age of progress in history. It is up to you to decide which path we will follow. It is up to me to attempt to see that we follow the path toward that great age and not towards destruction, and it is to that end that I dedicate my life.” President Truman said that he had met Mr. Churchill and Generalissimo Stalin for the first time at Potsdam. “I became very fond of them. They are men. They are leaders in this world to-day when we need leadership,’’ he declared. Mr. Churchill’s proposal for a virtual British-American military alliance provoked a generally unfavourable reaction in Congress, says the Associated Press. Mr. Churchill’s call for the sharing of bases and some military preparations found some support, but most Senators said they did not want a formal alliance because it might arouse Russia’s suspicions and because it would link the United States too closely with British foreign policies. Although Mr. Churchill claimed to speak for himself only, members of his party told correspondents that Mr. Churchill discussed his speech in advance with Lord Halifax. He added that it was unlikely that Mr. Churchill would discuss such an important subject if he thought it might prove an irritant to Mr. Bevin. “Shadow of Russia” The New York Post says it is an open secret that President Truman read the speech before its delivery and Mr. Bevin had a general understanding of the contents.

The New York Herald Tribune, in an editorial, said: “If the speech means anything, it means that Russia to-day is a shadow and menace to the Western World comparable with the menace of Nazism a decade ago and that it can be met only by such a show of strength as Mr. Churchill once called for vainly against Germany (and which most now believe would have been the only way of averting the vast ensuing tragedies) and that this strength, which must be exerted now, can be provided only by what would amount to a BritishAmerican alliance.

“One must hope that the explosive directness with which Mr. Churchill stated it will force all sides in Moscow, London and Washington to face some of the real implications of what is, after all, their common problem. The New York Times, in a leader, says: “Whether or not all Mr. Churchill’s proposals are acceptable to the United States is not the point now. The American people have long since realised that Britain and the United States are governed by a common destiny which brought them together in two world wars and woud inevitably do so in any future war. Sharing Mr. Churchill’s anxieties about the future, they will give a sympathetic hearing to his proposals for averting a new catastrophe.”