WAR POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24835, 7 February 1942, Page 6

WAR POLICY

EXISTING DIRECTION TWO DOMINIONS SATISFIED NEW ZEALAND VIEW AWAITED RUPBY, Feb. 5. Asked when the new Imperial War Cabinet or directorate would begin to function, and if it had yet been decided who should be members, the Prime Minister, Mr Churchill, said: " The proposals which I referred to in my statement the other day on the association of dominion representatives and the War Cabinet .did not ,involv>. any change in the United Kingdom membership of the War Cabinet. The proposal of the Australian Government was that it should have a representative on the War Cabinet and have the right to be heard in the formation and direction of policy. I advised that we werejn agreement with the proposals, and that, in fact, for a good many months Sir Earle Page had been exercising these rights. " We have informed the Governments of Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa that the same facilities are available to them if they wish to take advantage of them," Mr Churchill added. "We have not yet had any reply, from New Zealand. I understand the Governments of Canada and South Africa are satisfied with the existing arrangements of consultation, and have expressed themselves most strongly in that sense, and do not at present wish to attach special representatives to the War Cabinet.'' • TURNING TO WASHINGTON DOMINIONS CRITICISED XRec. 0.15 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 5. •-. A commentator for the National Broadcasting Company to-day .quoted a high British diplomat who deplored the fact that certain dominions were turning to Washington rather than London,- and expressed' the opinion that it was most desirable that the Pacific War Council should have its political .headquarters in London and that' its military, strategy should be directed from Washington. •. . The United Press quoted New Zealand's Minister to the United States, Mr W. Nash, as favouring Washington as the headquarters for both the political and military divisions of the War Council. .