“WAR UNLIKELY”

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 228, 25 August 1938, Page 18

“WAR UNLIKELY”

MR MENZIES’S VIEWS. THE EMPIRE’S TASK. LONDON, Aug. S. “I do not believe that war is possible in western Europe,” said the Australian Attorney-General, Mr Metizies, in a special interview with the Australian Associated Press on the eve of his departure for Melbourne. “The new Rhineland defences cancel out the Maginot Line,”, he added, “immobilising both the French and the German land forces. Hence Germany can only expand towards the east.

“I found the Germans immensely impressed with British rearmament. They continually asked against whom it was directed. I replied : ‘lsn’t it obvious?’ They seemed disconcerted, betraying their age-long lack of political sense and a misunderstanding of the British character. “I hope the understanding between Great Britain and Germany will grow. No German wants war. There is a great deal of spiritual quality in the willingness of the young Germans, who are devoted to service to the State. “I found the British Prime Minister (Mr Chamberlain) and Lord ltunciman, popular in Berlin. We must preserve Imperial unity, which is dependent on British consultation with the Dominions.” Questioned about trade with Germany, Mr Menzies said : “There is no possibility that Australia will engage in barter at present, but there is a possibility of talks later.” . Regarding migration, he said: “Either we must drop the whole thing or we must organise properly, obtaining a steady stream of Britons and Northern Europeans.” “NEW EMPIRE VIEWPOINT.”

Mr Menzies was surprisingly frank. He admitted that his foremost conclusion was the need for a new Empire viewpoint. “The modern relationship between Great Britain and the self-governing Dominions,” ho said, “seems to me to require constant contact, a real determination to understand each other s viewpoint, and a recognition of the fact that a frank and full exchange of ideas is essential to the preservation of unity of ideas and policy’, which is vital to the Empire. I do not undervalue the work done by Empire thinkers during the last 20 years, particularly' in the evolution of the definition of what is called the new Dominion status, hut I am sure, having now established the substantial independence of the constituent members of the Empire, wo should concentrate more and more on devising, not only the machinery, but a viewpoint which will preserve the essential unity of the Imperial structure as a whole. “London remains the centre of the British world, although, for all I know, the centre may some day he Canberra, Ottawa, or Pretoria. London being the centre, I see nothing derogatory to the independence of any Dominion in the proposition that the United British Empire policy must depend on two elements ; firstly, the Government of Great Britain, which recognises that, on all large matters, particularly international policy, it is speaking not only for the inhabitants of these islands, but for Britons the wcfldover, and therefore realises that it must as far as possible, before arriving at any decision, invite Dominion criticism and attach proper weight to Dominion views. Secondly, the Governments of each of the Dominions, which realise that, as members of a closely-knit family of nations, they are responsible, not only for the wise handling of their own problems and policies, but also for an effective contribution to a wise Empire policy and real Empife security.”