DIRECTION OF WAR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 17 February 1942, Page 4

DIRECTION OF WAR

EMPIRE REPRESENTATION PLAN WORKED OUT IN LONDON PROCEDURE EXPLAINED Rugby, Feb. 15. Speaking at Bradford on the sub ject of Empire participation in the War Cabinet, the Australian representative, Sir Earle Page, said: "I was sent to London to find a workable means of solving the problem of continuous consultation between the Empire Governments. which ha become more than |ever neco ary by Hv- h Hi.ijj up of the •supreme command fi> different area' under the direction of the Allied Wa' - •Councils. A plan has now been worked lout which. I think, will enable Australia and the other Dominion-, if they so desire, to take a full share in the direction of the war “The problem of the Australian .Government has been lo find a method 'of exerting il influence sufficiently early in th< ' ■ e of .< 'policy. To do thi . it is essential that the Dominion Government should have full knowledge of all fact . develop ments and trend of policy, and this j knowledge must be obtained in clearly'expressed views before decisions are made. It must have an opportunity of placing before key men of various , departments such as Services, Supply and the Foreign Office the Australian point of view while the policy is still ! fluid Its representatives should have the opportunity of presenting to and | discussing with the War Cabinet any suggestions as to new policy that Australia might from time to time desire to submit METHOD DETAILED "As a result of our experience and j discussions over the past three month:; 'a system of intergovernmental consul- ' tation has now been arranged bv Bri-

tation has now oeen arranged oy Britain to the Dominions whereby these essentials can be obtained over the whole field of warlike activity. The British War Cabinet machinery consists of three parts. The first, is the liaison machinery between all departments of Stale. This enables a continuous flow of information to be ' sent to the second part—the Defence Committee, which includes the chiefs iof staff. Their decisions are accepted lor rejected by the War Cabinet, which (is the third part of the machinery. “Machinery is now being made avail* I able to permit the fullest exchange of information at all the levels at which contact between the Government* I takes place. In includes the accrediting of a special representative to the British War Cabinet, giving him facilities for securing knowledge from British departmental sources for carrying out his task, and making available to him all the information that is known to the other members of the War Cabinet. At the same time it provides the means to make contacts to enable the Australian point of view to be put to all British departments. DOMINION LIAISON OFFICERS "An essential feature of this organisation is the appointment by the different Dominions of liaison officers. Their function is to contact men of their own rank in the different Services and Supply Departments while policy is in the actual making. "This contact Ls specially necessary at that point in the department in which a general view of the whole subject matter is being discussed, a ! stage where a summary can be prepared for those higher up to have a bird's-eye view of the situation. At this point oral discussion between the j Australian representative and the BriUish departmental official will secure the Australian colour in the picture. Higher up the scale, as the actual policy takes shape, further departmental consultation may be necessary, while at the highest plane the War Cabinet discussion will take place. "This indispensable vertical l.uison. 1 which interlocks the departmental \ iew of the two Governments al a different level will need very little additional staff. The Australian representative in the Defence Committee or the War Cabinet will be in a position to argue a case on an equal footing j with the other represented Governments. "This machinery has proved general in its possibility ol application. Britain is making it available not merely to I the Dominion Governments lor Empiie consultation but also an approved modification of it to the Dutch Government ias far as the Pacific War Council is i concerned. The Pacific War Council [ with its facilities, becomes in effect the i Defence Comm-tlce for the area which 1 it controls.” —8.0. W.