THE PACIFIC

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 164, 9 July 1918, Page 5

THE PACIFIC

AMERICA AND THE GERMAN MENAGE SENATOR SALISBURY'S. RESOLUTION. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.). (Rec. July 9. 9 a.m.) WASHINGTON, July 6. Grftat interest has been tak'en in Senator Salisbury's resolution (.xcluding Germany from the Pacific). •Con.grissmen regard it as the first step for the active co-opei - ation of America and Australia towards carry■ing out Mr Huglus's suggestion of a Monroe Doctrine for the Pacific. Several Senators favour the resolution. Senator (Salisbury, interviewed by a representative of the Australian Press Association said :—I approve of Mr Hughes's policy under which the Central Powers would be told to keep ' their hands off the South-, rn Pacific. Under my resolution, Australia would control the Southern .Pacific Islands in conjunction with Britain, thus preventing the possibility of Germany establishing- submarine or naval bases on "any "island thire. We must remem'ber that it is possible that Germany may over-run Holland beforo the war ends" What then would be the position of Holland's Pacific possessions. Concerted action by Britain, the United States, and Japan will prevent Ger- | many from securing control of any Pacific Islands. My resolution means ! that modern piracy must be excluded j from the Pacific and not only from j partition in Pacific trade- until her peo- ! pies show they have renounced mili- i tarism. The action which I propose < is of greatest importance to Australia. It m-. ans the removal of the menace of German occupation from any portion of New Guinea. We must see j that Germany is not allowed to estab- | lish a naval base in that or other j

Pacific Islands. Otherwise Australia would bo compelled to adopt protective measures, which would entail a heavier financial burden than a population of .ive millions would be able to bear. My aim is to ke.p Germany out of the Pacific for ever.

Senator Salisbury, who is President pro-tern of the Senate, is hopeful that the resolution will be passed.

(Senator Salisbury's resolution urged the United States, Britain and Japan i to come to an agreement to prevent j German ag'gr;fision in the Pacific. The resolution stipulates that Germany be j permanently barred from naval bases j in the Pacific. It also provides: "It j is opportune for the Governments of j the United States, Britain, and Japan j to enter into a lasting agreement to j render it inexpedient for anyone and ! impossible for the <Jenti , al Powers to ! pursue methods of warfare in the i Pacific Ocean, which are not justified j by the laws of warfare." It further I provides that China, Russia, and any other Government on the Pacific lit- j toral be admitted as signatories to th' 1 agreement; also that no warships of j any other Power which, has on shall pursue, illegal methods of warfare on t the high .<*> as- be permitted to hold ports or possessions in the Pacific • whence such warfare may be waged. \ The resolution stipulates that the agreement be enforced by the united i power of the. signatories. 1 The resolution is interpreted as the j first fruits of Mr Hughes's declaration ' favouring an Australian Monroe Doc- ! trine in the Pacific. j

, PRESS comment: NEW YORK, July 8. The New York Herald says, in reference to Senator Salisbury's resolution: /'Some people in this' Island., shiver when the word alliance is spoken, but the majority of Americans believe in the handling of international affairs with sound s.nse unless the Pacific is to become the theatre of future wars. The Hun must be prevented from g. tting a foothold on its shores. Ger- , many re-established in the Pacific, would be a constant danger to Australia "

INDIA.

FURTHER DETAILS OF COMMISSION'S REPORT. DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN NATIONHOOD. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association > •LONDON, July 7. The Indian Commission's report says : The timo has now come when India's sheltered existence cannot be prolonged without damaging her national life. Her nationhood within the Empire will be something better than India has yet attained. The great task is to call forth her capacity for self-reliance and nationhood instead of her caste feeling. The committee have worked out the scheme with the object as far as possible of giving complete popular control of local bodies with the largest possible independence, and securing progressive realisation of responsible government to the provinces, some measures of which should be granted to the provinces forthwith, with a view of granting complete responsibility at the earliest possible moment. The central Government must remain responsible to the British Parliament, but with that exception its authority must remain indisputable pending experience of the proposed changes in the provincial constitutions. The committee emphatically reject the argument that local self-government must wait until other reforms create a suitable atmosphere. They assert that Indian hopes and aspirations have been aroused to such a pitch that-they cannot be appeased by the mere grant of control over urban and rural boards. Moreover, the development of the countrv has reached a stage at which a wider application of self-govevnment would be justified,,and government without the people's co-operations increasingly difficult.

MILITARY MEDAL

AWARDED TO WOMEN. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.^ (Rec. July 9. 8.50 a.m.) The Kins has awarded the Military Medal to six women for gallantry during an air *aid hi France, which de-st-foved the women'® auxiliary camp, and' nslso for removing wounded from the vicinity of an exploddng munition dump. a KILLED WHILE FLYING. EX-MAJOR OiF NEW YORK. i Australian and N,-Z. Cable Association' (Rec. July 9, 9.5 a.m.) , r MW YORK. Jnly 6. A despatch received states that Major Mitchell. ex-Mayor of New York, has heen killed at 'Lake Charles. He tell while flying a Scot machine.