Resist Any Attempt To Eliminate British'

Northern Advocate, 29 October 1948, Page 4

Resist Any Attempt To Eliminate British'

CONSERVATIVES WILL. . 7~

LONDON, Thu. (11.30 a.m.) .—Continuing the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Commons today, Mr Churchill said the Statute of Westminster swept away constitutional safeguards which seemed to cramp the freedom of independence of the great self-governing Dominions and to rely for the unity and cohesion of the Empire solely upon the link of the Crown. They were now asked to consider the abandonment of that sole remaining symbol and legal foundation of the Empire, the words Empire, Dominion and British, which hitherto had claimed many loyalties.

“Apparently the Socialist Govern- ' ment wishes'' to direct us into channels where these words will be heard no more or as little as possible,” he - said. “Indeed. I wonder that the word Commonwealth should satisfy the requirements of socialist statesmanship. ' “If all these exclusions and inhibitions are to be dropped, it would seem only logical to adopt some completely loosfe, meaningless term.” Such grave constitutional changes - should not be effected in this way. The project had caused widespread concern, especially in New Zealand and Australia. BENEFITS, NO OBLIGATIONS Mr Churchill said the Conservative Party would resist any attempt to de- * . stroy the expression British Empire, abandon the constitutional term Dominion or abolish the word British from ’the collective designation. All good Socialists were urged to abstain as much as they could from using such words to enable Mr Costelo and Mr to participate to the: full, if. they choose, in all the 1 benefits of association without committing themselves to the slightest obligation or to any symbolic or sentimental token of gesture in return. “It may be that within a number of years another Empire conference willtake a different view,” he said. ! “This one was not united on the - subject. . - “There are not at the moment many Conservative Prime Ministers in the Empire. POSITION OF IRELAND “It may be that this proportion will be reversed in the near future and a more robust spirit will prevail.” He always hoped that there would be a united Ireland, but Ulster and the northern counties should not be compelled to. join a Dublin government’ against their wishes. They should be courted, not raped. ~ “ He would regard a friendly union of Eire and Ulster as a, blessing to the British Empire and the civilised world.

Mr Costello’s decision might 1 ' well, forever prevent a united Ireland. Nothing could be a greater encouragement to Dr Malan to sever all ties between South Africa and Britain and make it clear that while every form of symbolic association might be destroyed, no practical inconvenience would result - . RECORD IN INDIA

.Mr Churchill said that some day justice would be done by world opinion to Britain’s record in India, but the chapter was closed. Questions which arose about the future negotiations on Pakistan, India and association with the Crcwn were of practical importance and "might be upon us very quickly.” Mr Churchill said Britain could not make herself responsible for the defence of any part of India against external attack otherwise than as part of her. duty to the United Nations unless the link was preserved with the Grown, 'and unless they formed part of the British Empire or Commonwealth of Nations, or unless a treaty was made. BURDEN TOO HEAVY “We should not undertake responsibility towards foreigners as a result of a treaty towards the discharge of which we have not the means of making an effective contribution,” he said. “We must devote ourselves to the preservation of as much as is left of the former British Empire or Commonwealth. “All other arrangements we make must be subordinate to that. “To take responsibility, otherwise than by treaty or through the United Nations, for any country not even symbolically or constitutionally associated with us would be to commit ourselves without return to obligations beyond our strength to fulfil, and lay burdens on our people more than they can bear.” WESTERN UNION Referring to Western Union, Mr Churchill said that whatever military preparations were made in the West to aid defence they could only be for many years to come a subsidiary to ,the deterrent effect of the atomic bomb.

“This alone at present prevents the re-barbarisation and enslavement of Europe by Communist’forces directed by the Kremlin,” he said. .After referring to the fact that talk of war risk was on the* lips of ! all leading Ministers,- Mr Churchill. said that in the matter of armed forces they found themselves falling between the two stools of previous undue extravagance’ and later imprudent dispersal. The Conservatives took no responsibility for the present state of Britain’s defences.

He said the proposed nationalisation of iron and steel was not brought forward on its merits or to help national revival or production. PARTY MOTIVES “We can discern only too plainly squalid party motives behind it,” he said. “We shall not hestiate if we win the elections to expunge from the statute book nationalisation measures which stand on no better foundation than that of doctrinal fallacy and party intrigue.” Mr Herbert Morrison described Mr Churchill's speech as the “least effective criticism of the Government he has made.” Mr Churchill’s observations on the Empire and Commonwealth were irresponsilbe and mischievous and calculated to do a great deal of harm. “The trouble with Mr Churchill is that he is, incapable of moving forward,” he said. “We believe Commonwealth is a better word in spirit and accuracy in describing this extraordinary assembly of nations than the word British.” GREATER UNITY

Mr Morrison said the spirit of unity in the Commonwealth was greater than it ever was.

It was the 19th Century old-fash-ioned attitude of Mr Churchill which made him rather a menace to the Commonwealth of Nations. The observations of Mr Churchill on Mr Costello and Mr Nehru were hot useful.

No one could have been more cooperative and helpful than the Prime Ministers of India, Pakistan and Ceylon. Mr Morrison asked Mr Churchill if he had been in power in 1945 would he have resisted the Indian request for independence and held India down at ie point of the sword at the cost of a long-term military effort ? Mr Churchill replied that there was no warrant to introduce the word “independence” for India. TROOPS IN PALESTINE

The thousand's of British troops which were squandered in shameful operations in Palestine could have been stationed in India and without any bloodshed could have maintained peace and order during the years re-: quired to build up a really strong and effective Indian administration and ransfer the necessary governmental powers.

The Government, however, decided to get out without any consideration as to what it crushed or destroyed on the way. Mr Morrison, referring to the war crimes trials, said the Foreign Office informed him that from September 1, 1948, Britain had “drawn the sponge” across them except in the case of four German generals. Persons subordinate to these generals had already been tried and punished for their crimes in pursuance with their orders. The Government therefore thought it wrong that they should escape trial. NO DECISION—FRASER The fact that the Prime Ministers’ conference reached no decision to drop the word “British” from the designation of the British Commonwealth was emphasised by the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) in an interview before leaving London to attend the sitting of the United Nations General Assembly in Paris.

The question of whether the word would be retained, Mr Fraser indicated, depended on the decision of the new Asiatic members of the Commonwealth on their future relationship with it.