SUPREME COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25305, 16 August 1943, Page 2

SUPREME COUNCIL

GOVERNMENT OF EMPIRE MR CURTIN’S PROPOSAL (Rec. 8.45 p.m.) ADELAIDE, Aug. 15. The setting up of a supreme Empire body to govern the entire British Empire after the war has been advocated by Mr Curtin, the Australian Prime Minister. He said that such a body would co-operate with the other Allied nations in post-war reconstruction. His statement is regarded as probably the most outspoken made by any Allied leader on conceptions of the post-war world. Mr Curtin said he did not believe that the Mother Country could manage the Empire on a basis of a Government sitting in London. If we could not have a supreme Empire body with executive powers we would have to have a consultative body. All the facilities of science, communications, and travel must be made available for frequent meeting and quick consultation on urgent matters. Denying that his appeal to the United States for assistance in 1941 was indicative of any lack of faith in Britain, the Prime Minister said: “I have the greatest admiration for all she has done in this supreme struggle. But I knew she had her own problems to face, and consequently could not give us any great assistance.” Discussing the post-war world, Mr Curtin said that if fresh rivalries and conflicts were to be avoided there must be a yielding of intensely narrow nationalism which would prevent Australia from collaborating with the United Nations with whom she had fought. There must also be a pooling of sovereignty.