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Otago Daily Times, Issue 26916, 30 October 1948, Page 7

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DELETION OF "BRITISH"

MR CHURCHILL ATTACKS GOVERNMENT N.Z.P.A.—Copyright LONDON. Oct. 28.

Continuing the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Commons to-day, Mr Churchill said the Statute of Westminster swept away constitutional safeguards which seemed to cramp the freedom and independence of the great self-governing dominions and relied for unity and cohesion of the Empire solely upon the link of the Crown. They were now asked to consider the abandonment of that sole remaining symbol and the legal foundation of tne Empire, and Hhe

words “ Empire,” “ Dominion,” and “ British,” which hitherto had, claimed many loyalties and much agreement, and had associated with them well-known conceptions. “Apparently the Socialist Government wished to direct us into channels where these words will be heard no more, or as little as possible,” said Mr Churchill. “ Indeed, I wonder that the word Commonwealth should satisfy the requirements of Socialist statesmanship. If all these exclusions and inhibitions are to be dropped it would seem only logical to adopt some completely loose and meaningless term.”

Such grave constitutional changes should not be effected in this way. The project had caused widespread concern, especially in New Zealand and Australia.

Mr Churchill said the Conservative Party would resist any attempt to destroy the expression British Empire or to abandon the constitutional term dominion, or abolish the word British from collective designation. All good Socialists were urged to abstain as much as they could from using such words, to enable Mr Costello (Prime Minister of Eire) and Mr Nehru (Prime Minister of India) to participate to the,full if they chose in all the benefits of the association without committing themselves to the slightest obligation or to any symbolic or sentimental token of gesture in return.

“It may be that, within a number of years, another Empire conference will take a different view. This one was not united on the subject,” said Mr Churchill. “ There are not at the moment many Conservative Prime Ministers in the Empire. It may be that this proportion will be reversed in the near future and a more robust spirit will prevail.” He always hoped there would be a united Ireland, but Ulster and the northern counties should not be com-' pelled to join the Dublin Government against their wishes. They should be courted, not raped, he said. He would regard a friendly union of Eire and Ulster as a blessing to the British Empire and the civilised world. Mr Costello’s decision may well forever prevent a united Ireland. *'■

Nothing could be a greater encouragement to Dr Malan, the South African Prime Minister, to sever all ties between South Africa and Britain, or make it clear that while every form of symbolic association may be destroyed, no practical inconvenience would result.

Some day justice would be done oy world opinion to Britain’s record in India, but the chapter was closed, he said. Questions which arose about future negotiations on Pakistan, India and association with the Crown were of practical importance and “may be upon us very quickly.” Mr Churchill said Britain could not make herself responsible for the defence of any part of India against external attack otherwise than as part of her duty to the United Nations unless the link was preserved with the Crown, and unless they formed part of the British Empire or Commonwealth of Nations, or unless a treaty was made. “We should not undertake a responsibility towards foreigners as a. result of a treaty towards the discharge of which we have not the means of making an effective contribution. We must devote ourselves to the preservation of as much as is left of the former British Empire or Commonwealth. All other arrangements we make must be subordinate to that. “To take responsibility otherwise than by treaty or through the United Nations for any country not even symbolically or consitutionally associated with us would be to commit ourselves without return to obligations beyond our strength to fulfil, and layburdens on our people more than they can bear.” Referring to the Western Union. Mr Churchill said that whatever military preparations were made in the West to aid defence they could only be for many years to come subsidiary to the deterrent effect of the atomic bomb “This alone at present prevents the rebarbarisation and enslavement of Europe by Communist, forces directed by the Kremlin,” he said. After referring to the fact that the talk of war risk was on the lips of all leading Ministers, Mr Churchill said that in the matter of armed forces they found themselves falling between the two stools of previous undue extravagance and later . imprudent dispersal. The Conservatives took no responsibility for the present state of Britain’s defences. The Leader of the House of Commons, Mr Herbert Morrison, said that Mr Churchill’s observations on the Empire and the Commonwealth* were irresponsible and mischievous and calculated to do a great deal of harm. “ The. trouble with Mr Churchill.” he said, “is that he is incapable of moving forward as the years go on. We believe Commonwealth is a better word in spirit and accuracy in describing this extraordinary assembly of nations than the word British.” Mr Morrison said the spirit of unity in the Commonwealth was greater than ever. It was the nineteenth-century old-fashioned attitude of Mr Churchill which made him rather a menace to the Commonwealth- of Nations. The observations of Mr Churchill on Mr Costello and Mr Nehru were not useful. No one could have been more co-operative and helpful than the Prime Ministers of India, Pakistan, and Ceylon. Mr Morrison asked Mr Churchill if he had been in power in 1945 would he have resisted the Indian request for independence and held

India down at the point of the sword at the cost of a long-term military effort?

Mr Churchill replied that there was no warrant to introduce the word “ independence ” for India. The thousands of British troops which were squandered in shameful operations in Palestine could have been stationed in India and without bloodshed could have maintained peace and prder during the years required to build up a really strong and effective Indian administration and transfer the necessary governmental powers. The Government, however, decided to get out without any consideration as to what it crushed and destroyed on the way. Mr Morrison, referring to the war crimes trials, said the Foreign Office had informed him that from September 1, 1948, Britain had “drawn the sponge ” across them except in the case of four German generals. Persons subordinate to these generals had already been triqd and punished for their crimes in pursuance of thenorders. The Government, therefore, thought it wrong that they should escape trial.