BRITAIN’S PART IN EUROPEAN WESTERN UNION

Grey River Argus, 10 May 1948, Page 5

BRITAIN’S PART IN EUROPEAN WESTERN UNION

Conservative Parly’s View Stated LONDON, May 5 Mr A. Eden (Conservative) in the debate on foreign affairs, said it was fantastically horrible that three years from the day of victory we should be making speeches and once again mentioning the word “war.” We should not, However, oe fatalistic. The present international situation was very dangerous, but not desperate. The British Commonwealth and Empire must always be the first consideration. The Empire should be with us at every stage. There should be a conference ot Empire statesmen on these matters soon. Such meetings at critical times had been invaluable. They had enabled the Government to obtain a point of view, not only informed but fresh, given from a different angle and bacKed by unrivalled experience. The historic meeting ol Empire statesmen auring the wars was a great help. The House of Commons was now considering problems just as important to the world's, iuture as any which arose during the war. Recovery of prosperity and international authority of Western European nations would be a most direction contribution to the maintenance of peace. li the men of the Kremlin did not rea’ly believe the Western way ol life was doomed, they were running a great risk of hazarding peace in acting as they did’. Could not Russia rid herself of her obsession about war? No one had the right to say the war was inevitable. They could negotiate successfully with Russia, but only on the basis 'of strength—when Russia learnt that neither by abuse nor sabotage could she force the Western people to change their way of life, he believed there were men in the Kremlin far-seeing enough to understand that. If the Russians persisted in methods such as they recently employed in Czechoslovakia and Berlin, they risked an overwhelming calamity for themselves and the world. The Prime Minister, Mr Attlee, said that consultations with the British Commonwealth Governments showed general approval of the idea of the Western Union. The Government was willing to hold a full Commonwealth conference and plans to hold one as soon as possible. It was utterly wrong and dangerous to talk of war as inevitable. He bel.eved that nobody in the world wanted it, and, if there was any drift towards it, it would be because someone had “chanced his arm” too far. Britain desired the most friendly relations with Russia, but it must be recognised that Russia’s views were not those of Britain, and also that a breach in the general sense of values existed in Europe. He believed the right way to work towards Western Union was dealing with practical matters in a practical way. Western Union was undoubtedly necessary, but Britain could not apply herself solely to one continent. Britain was interested in all continents. Mr Attlee said Britain had tried to make the United Nations effective and he did not despair about it, despite all the United Nations’ difficulties. There was scope within the United Nations for regional agreements in defence. It was obvious that there were agreements for defence in eastern Europe. There was no reason why there should not be agrements for defence in the West or the rest of the world. The Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mr C. P. Mayhew, said tire Government regarded a treaty with Japan as being long overdue. Not only the Japanese, but all the States of the Far East must know where they stood. “I give a categorical assurance that we will not stay in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. It is of supreme importance to tfie safety and welfare of the British Commonwealth/’ he added. BELGIUM AND HOLLAND TO SIGN PACT THEHAGUE, May 7 Belgium and Holland will sign a military pact next week, providing for co-operation in the organisation and the use of their armed forces, the supply of materials and technical research.