The Grey River Argus TUESDAY, September 10, 1940. DEVELOPMENTS IN PACIFIC.

Grey River Argus, 10 September 1940, Page 4

The Grey River Argus TUESDAY, September 10, 1940. DEVELOPMENTS IN PACIFIC.

The latest arrangements for sea defence between Britain and the United States, while the details may not have been generally anticipated, have been nevertheless in accord entirely with the naval relations previously between the two Powers. The 5-5-3 naval ratio, with Japan on the lower figure, implied a continuance of sea supremacy lor Britain, because it also implied Anglo-American co-operation. In Europe, Britain has had always the role of keeping a power balance, and abroad the role of sea command. To maintain each she had respectively to have an understanding with France and the. United States. The exchange of British naval bases for American destroyers, while better protecting the North American Continent from attack, strengthens the British naval forces available for home defence by reducing the responsibilities of the Empire in American waters. It is probably Mi-. Roosevelt’s shrewd method in presenting the deal as having only American defensive aims, with Britain’s. marked gain as a mere incidental. Though there has been talk of extending co-operation to the Pacific, and there is an understanding be tween Canada and the States, it must be borne in mind that the United States is only acting on her own account in this ocean, and there is no naval base projected by her at Vancouver Island. There have been journalistic dreams of a complete merger between Britain and America, but. such talk has' absolutely no justification, and -is only cal culated to cause friction in Pacific diplomacy to the detriment of the relations between Japan a;m these Southern Dominions. Wt have in New Zealand those who wish to revive, the “Yellow Peril” ghost for objects that have nothing to do with Dominion welfare. One gratuitous counsellor would have us imagine Japan is out for world domination, saying that her industrial expansion this century is a miracle, and that her inability to absorb her manufactures extended her activity to New Zealand, Australia, the East Indies, Malayo and Indo-China. Surely it: has been only after the European and American industrialised countries have extended their activity, not merely to the areas mentioned, but to the whole world, that Japan has tried to obtain a stable market within certain limits. She relies, however, upon China for her main market of the future, and it would only suit the book of the United States were British Dominions to throw away their own prospects of Far Eastern marketing in order to form a merger in policy or commerce with America in z the Pacific. Each country is loyal primarily to its own interest, and the Americans are out. to push their own barrow in Eastern Asia. Some notiee must -x taken of the statement yesterday of the Japanese Consul-General in New Zealand, Mr. Toyokiehi Fukuma, prior to his departure for Japan, when he said the two

countries should have closer relations, since Japan wanted New Zealand wool'in particular, also general raw materials, including casein. In exchange, Japan now exported textiles and manufa..tured goods, but could also send corrugated iron for roofing, fenc ing wire, and metal casings for munitions. Australia and New Zealand must look ahead. Australia, on her part, is doing so, and has appointed a Minister to Tokio, Sir John Latham, wii-h Britain’s benediction, and with an eye to a large expansion oi trading. There are barriers of thought, language and distance, but it has to be recognised that the heart of the Pacific world is now destined to be Tokio. From Europe this seems to be the outer margin of the world, but from here it is the front door. Foi the future it seems more than probable that British naval re sponsibility will not remain what it used to be, and that the Dominions in their own way must shoulder their own responsibility, without, of course, altering otherwise their relationships m the British Commonwealth. New markets are going to be an im perative need, and we shall have American competition. Rela tions with Japan largely will be what we like to make them, and there is a call for intelligence and realism, so that a goon neighbour policy shall become mutually beneficial. The same, of course, applies to our relations with the United States, wlncu, however, has seldom offered u> any sort of market, but which instead sought only to make us one of her markets for films, machin cry, and other industrial pro ducts. The Dominions are going to be responsible in a very large degree for .their defence, as well as their development, since Br. tain may have to think aftei the war of her own revival o i more of a balanced economs, with a restoration of primary production. In this matter of Pacific relations, therefore, NevZealand will do well to study Australia’s example before listening to those who suggest contrary course of action.