BRITAIN AND AMERICA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26096, 8 March 1946, Page 5

BRITAIN AND AMERICA

SPECULATION AROUSED (Rec. 10.45 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 6. Meeting in an atmosphere of greatest secrecy, enforced by armed guards who escort every visitor to the building, the British and American combined Chiefs of Staff continued today their - joint military planning, although the war finished more than six months ago. Responsible British and American staff officers declined to discuss the nature of the secret work they are doing or how long the joint board intends to continue. It is known, however, that the British proposed the combined staff should continue indefinitely. Some persons in Washington feel that the staff represents an informal and unratified British-American military alliance, accomplishing the many objectives outlined in Mr Churchill’s Pulton speech, but Mr Churchill believes that the effect of the joint group would be greater if its status were made a formal one, perhaps by treaty. The fact that the staff is continuing daily meetings has probably come as a surprise to many in America, even Washington, and now that Mr Churchill has brought into the open - the agitation for a formal British and American military alliance, it is expected that Congress will pay more attention to the staff’s activities. Meanwhile, it was learned that Mr Churchill regarded his speech yesterday as the most important of his long career. The Washington reaction is mixed, but influential Senators appeared more willing to accept Mr Churchill’s diagnosis of the world’s ills than to take his proffered medicine proposal for a military alliance. It is criticised primarily on the ground that it would tend to weaken the United Nations. The majority of the.members of the House of Representatives opposed the proposal. Some linked the address with efforts to win approval of credit to Britain.