WAR CABINET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24838, 11 February 1942, Page 4

WAR CABINET

DOMINION REPRESENTATION MR DOWNIE STEWART'S VIEWS MAY WEAKEN OUR INFLUENCE (Special) CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 10. In an interview to-day, Mr W. Downie Stewart said that he hoped before the session of Parliament closed a full and open debate would take place on New Zealand's request for a seat in the War Cabinet. It was clear that Canada and South Africa did not want representation, whereas Australia and New Zealand did. This would create a most anomalous situation which did. not exist in the last war, and some attempt should be made to get all the dominions into step or trouble was sure to follow. Moreover, Mr Stewart said, it looked as though Mr Churchill and Mr Fraser were talking at cross-purposes. Mr Fraser wanted New Zealand to have a seat in the War Cabinet with apparently the same right as a British Minister to concur in or dissent from any decision arrived at. But Mr Churchill said the Dominion representatives had "the right to be heard in the formation and direction of policy," which might merely mean the right to be consulted, as at present, while the responsibility for deciding the issue still rested with the British War Cabinet. In fact, Mr Churchill was careful not to call it an Imperial War Cabinet, and to do so would be a misnomer. But quite apart from that, it was probable that if New Zealand was granted a seat in the War Cabinet it would not strengthen her power and influence, but would weaken it.

So long as the present position continued, Great Britain would consult New Zealand as a self-governing Dominion and would go to great lengths to meet her views and secure her.concurrence, Mr Stewart said. Mr Fraser had frequently borne testimony to Britain's consideration and goodwill in this respect, but, oh the other hand, if New Zealand claimed a voice in Cabinet decisions her exact representative strength was fixed and merely nominal, and she was of necessity bound by the decisions arrived at. Was not her influence as a consulta L tive member far greater than that of an executive member, more especially if at a later date other dominions claimed representation according to population, as they had every right to do? Mr Stewart said he, was far from suggesting that Mr Fraser should adopt the pre-war attitude of Canada and refuse even to be consulted, for no Empire policy was feasible on that basis. Perhaps Mr Fraser had further information which had not been made public, but there were many other aspects of the problem that ought to be discussed by Parliament.