SUBSTANTIAL COMMUNITY OF OUTLOOK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23154, 17 January 1950, Page 5

SUBSTANTIAL COMMUNITY OF OUTLOOK

(N.Z.P.A. —Reuter—Copyright.)

(10 a.m.) LONDON, .Tan. 16. A number of English morning newspapers today commented editorially on the issues of the Colombo Conference.

The Times said the communique published at the end of the conference might not impress those who could not understand the principles on which the Commonwealth is based. “Yet the conference, as the communique said, ‘once again demonstrated that among all members of the Commonwealth there is a continuing and substantial community of outlook in their approach to current problems,’ ” continues The Times. “The great achievement of the conference was undoubtedly the new approach to problems of South-East Asia. “The establishment of communism in China is a warning that cannot be disregarded. In Asia the backwardness and poverty of the people are the best allies of communism and it is only by improving the standard of life that communism can be stopped.” Two Things Needed

Two things must be done before the full value of the work of the conference could be gained, continues The Times. "The wasteful and dangerous quarrel between India and Pakistan must be brought to an end and the British Government must find a way to work as closely with the United States in Asia and the Pacific as it already does in Europe and the Atlantic. The threat of communism is now so great that the Western Powers cannot afford to dissipate energies by differences among themselves.” The Liberal Manchester Guardian said: “If communism is to be checked in South Asia and if- the Commonwealth is to survive, more must be offered to the youth of Asia than unrequited exports.” The Daily Express asked: “Does the Empire emerge stronger from the Ministers’ deliberations?” The paper criticises as “double talk” the passage in the official communique which said there need be no inconsistency between Britain’s West European policy and the maintenance of traditional Commonwealth links. United Europe The Daily Telegraph said that the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Ernest Bevin, might feel emboldened by the Colombo communique to show less timidity in embracing the idea of a united Europe than the British Cabinet exhibited before and during the proceedings at Strasbourg last year. "After the talks in Colombo we should have more confidence in going forward with the goodwill of our fellow members of the Commonwealth,” added the Daily Telegraph.

The Communist Daily Worker, under a heading “Colombo humbug,” said the conference proposed to combat communism in South-East Asia by a “beautifully-vague 10-year programme of economic expansion to provide cheaper consumer goods.” Britain appeared to be playing a double game in China.

“The Labour Imperialists, whose Colombo performance made them look like frightened men trying to plug a crumbling dyke with a spoonful of sand, are still trying intrigue and manoeuvre,” said the Daily Worker. “Forced to recognise the Chinese people’s Government they have not broken off de facto relations with the Chiang ‘rump’ In Formosa.”