JOINT WAR HISTORY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26719, 13 March 1948, Page 7

JOINT WAR HISTORY

BRITAIN AND UNITED STATES WARILY APPROVED BY HOUSE OF LORDS N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent LONDON, Mar. 11. The Lord Chancelor, Lord Jowitt, in the House of Lords, welcomed and accepted a motion by Lord Trenchard that the Government should discuss with the United States the preparation of a joint war history by the two countries. There were cheers from both sides of the House when Lord Jowitt said that the two Governments had already decided to confer about the matter at an appropriate date, Lord Trenchard, moving his resolution, said distorted and inaccurate histories . had done much to damage Anglo-American relations in the past; and, though it was now to late to rewrite them, the events of the recent war gave an opportunity to redress the balance. When he had discussed this idea with leading Americans last year he was astonished by the warmth of welcome it received.

Lord Trenchard suggested that a committee representative, of the heads of universities in both countries should be appointed, and that this committtee should appoint two historians and two assistants. The two Governments should give every assistance and provide all necessary access to documents, but should take no part in appointing the writers. Above all, the history must be authoritative and unbiased.

Lord Trenchard estimated that the cost of the history would be approximately £200,000 for each country. Much of this outlay would be recovered from sales. The Marquis of Salisbury, for the Opposition, welcomed Lord _ Trenchard’s proposal, which he described as a “ great project in every sense of the word.” He did not share the view that it was necessary to write independent war histories first in order to obtain material for a joint history. If official histories were produced first it might be difficult to strike a balance between the parts played by the two countries. . . . Lord Camrose said that if a joint history was to be of any value it must be produced at an early date before too many books of an irresponsible character had been published. Lord Jowitt said the historians of the two countries at a recent meeting of war historians in Washington had agreed that draft histories should be exchanged before publication, so that each country would have the opportunity of making its point of view known to the other. Lord Trenchard’s plan had already been submitted to the United States, and it had been agreed that it should be further discussed.