BURMA'S HOPES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23699, 4 July 1940, Page 10

BURMA'S HOPES

DOMINION STATUS CO-OPERATION IN WAR BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S REPLY! By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July 3, f1.35 p.m.) British "Wireless LONDON, July 2 The Governor of Burma on June 22 received from the Premier the following statement of the Burma Government's policy toward the war : "At this critical juncture in the history of the world and of the war of freedom and democracy against brute force, the policy of the- Government of Burma is, to give • the utmost help in the common task of making the forces of freedom and democracy triumphant in the present conflict. "The Government of Burma is a representative Government and cannot tako adequate action in pursuance of the above policy without the approval and co-operation of the people of Burma whom it represents. Nor can any action it may take be fully effective unless it is placed in respect of defence and external affairs in the same position as the fully self-governing members of the British Commonwealth.

Aspirations oi People

"While, therefore, the policy outlined above is unconditional, the Government of Burma would strongly urge upon His Majesty's Government the necessity of satisfying the aspirations of the people of Burma by making a declaration forthwith to the eflcct that on the termination of the present war His Majesty's Government will grant Burma a constitution which will enable her to take at once her due place as a fully self-governing and equal member of any commonwealth or federation of free nations that may bo established as a result of the war." This statement was communicated by the Governor to the Secretary for Burma who, with the approval of His Majesty's Government, has sent the following reply:— "Please express to your Ministers His Majesty's Government's deep appreciation of their unconditional offer as representatives of the people of Burma to give their utmost help in the common task of prosecuting the war against the forces of evil and securing the triumph of freedom and democracy. Appointment of Counsellor "As evidence of His Majesty's Government's appreciation and in order to secure the closest co-operation possible between the people of Burma and the Governor in discharging the functions entrusted to him by the Burma Act, particularly in the all-important sphere of defence, His Majesty's Government approves your suggestion that you should forthwith invite a representative of Burma to serve as one of your counsellors to assist you in the exercise of those functions.

"As regards the question of future constitutional development, the policy and intentions of His Majesty's Government have been clearly declared in statements, which you delivered to your Ministers last November, that it will continue to use its best endeavours to promote the attainment of Dominion status as being the objective of Burma's constitutional progress.

Review After War "At this moment it is clearly impossible to predict what will be the world situation at the end of the war, what aspects the requirements of Burma's defences and external affairs will assume in that situation and to what extent Burma will herself be in a position to cope with those requirements. "It is only in the light of circumstances that may actually obtain at the time that theso questions can usually bo considered and discussed, but when the war has been brought to a victorious end, His Majesty's Government will be very willing to enter on the discussion of them."

BRITISH BLOCKADE CHANGES IN OPERATION RESULT OF FRENCH SURRENDER British Wireless LONDON, July 2 The Minister of Economic Warfare, Dr. Hugh Dalton, in the House of Commons, said that the policy of his department was to deny to the enemy as far as possible all goods and services which might aid his war effort. A number of events which had taken place in the past five weeks had changed the conditions and methods of waging economic warfare, but the House would understand that it would be contrary to the national interest to discuss these changes of detail in public. ' As far as occupied France was concerned, Dr. Dalton said, contraband control was being exercised in such a way as to prevent goods from reaching the enemy through any port of France. So far as the French colonies were concerned, decision had been deferred until the situation in those colonics was clear.