FROM WEEK TO WEEK

Grey River Argus, 23 September 1943, Page 3

FROM WEEK TO WEEK

(By

H. Winston Rhodes)

WORDS, WORDS, WORDS.

The story is told that Mr. Anthony Eden was'to give a speech on postwar reconstruction. He submitted 'the text to Mr. Churchill for comment. The reply was brief: Dear Eden, you have used every cliche in the English language with the exception of ‘please do not expectorate.’ As far as 1 know the story has no foundation in fact, but as we read the stereotyped utterances of statesmen, as we listen to our own comments on the world after the war, we must soon become aware of the inadequacy of slogans and of the dangerous insincerity to which we are all liable.

We are living in a political fog through which can be seen the glittering sky signs, the advertisments of frightened politicians, the slogans of those who are playing for time. The pleasant, persuasive voices murmur in our ears from radio, platform and pulpit. We are lulled to sleep by the phra'ses of men and women of good will, —post-war reconstruction, freedom from want, the Atlantic Charter, the United Nations, the Democratic way of life, planning for the future and never again

The words are becoming wearisome. We want the deeds. We want the plans, and we want them not because we think the war is nearly over, but because the deeds and the plans are part of the war. They are part of the struggle to implement the Atlantic Charter. They are part of the struggle to keep the United Nations united. They are part of the democratic way of life. And certainly they should be part of our propaganda in Europe and Asia. AMGOT. It is gradually becoming clear why it is that rumour is busy over the Soviet attitude towards Allied Military Government of Occupied Territory, popularly] known as Amgot. Britain and America are worried about the Soviet inspired Free German Movement. The Soviet Union is disatisfied with Amgot. And as the news leaks through, more and more commentators are discovering that developments in Sicily 7 and in Italy are not such that they will greatly inspire the peoples of the occupied territories in Europe.

It is rumoured that there are training schools for Amgot officials, but nobody knows much about them. The people of Europe want to know, they have a right to know the plans and policies of Amgot officials. How are these men to administer the laws? How are they, to select Sicilians, Italians or Frenchmen able and willing to help in the gradual transfer of .power from the fascists and the men 'of Vichy to the people themselves? How are they 7 to behave when exfascist officials are anxious to resume their work?

We don’t know the answers to these questions. The people of occupied Europe don’t know the answers. But we do know that Amgot has been using former fascists in Sicily. We suspect that Amgot is not likely to hand factories over to the workers, and if not the workers, then to whom? Are the owners of Italian industries, nearly all of them closely associated with the fascist party, to be left in control when Amgot extends its work in Italy,?

We do not want, words about the future, we do not want the phrases of the Atlantic Charter repeated to us. We want to learn how Amgot works now, and how the re-education of the Sicilians or the Italians is progressing. We want to know what, the Italians think of Amgot as well as what Amgot thinks of the Italians.

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN CHINA?

When shall we be able to obtain a good cable service wih China? When shall we learn that what happens in China profoundly affects the present and the future of the whole Pacific area? When will New Zealanders discover, or Australians, or Americans, that a knowledge of developments in China is just a’s important as a knowledge of developments at home, if Pacific problems are ever to be solved.

Something is happening in China. In previous articles I have referred to typical Chinese comments on Pacific political and military strategy. I have repeatedly stated that the Chinese United Front is the best guarantee of a speedy victory over Japan. But how is - the Chinese United Front, being maintained. I don’t know, and I don’t know, because it is almost impossible to obtain information. What I do know is that some American papers have referred to trouble between Moscow and Chungking, and to-day I read that “The Observer’s military correspondent remarks that the Soviet Union not only finds evidence of a desire to keep her out of Europe, but in (he same way she envisages in the strife which has broken out between Marshal Chiang Kai-shek and the Chinese Communists an attempt by Anglo-American imperialism to gain a foot in the Fai’ East.” More than anything we need a conference between the partners in the United Nations. We want, frank speech and we want deeds. j