SYDNEY CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27386, 11 May 1950, Page 10

SYDNEY CONFERENCE

Main Emphasis On Asia NEW ZEALAND’S PART PA WELLINGTON. May 10. “ The conference of British Commonwealth Ministers, to be held in Sydney next week will continue with the study of a major problem which engaged the attention of the Foreign Ministers who met at Colombo last January—the problem of how to stem the tide of Communism in South and South-east Asia," said the Minister of External Affairs, Mr Doidge, on the eve of his departure for Auckland, en route to Sydney. “The United Nations and the United States are both alive to the imperative need for action," hr* continued. "The United Nations has a scheme for technical assistance to be operated on an international scale by specialised agencies. The United States is pledged to similar activity under what is known as President Truman’s ■ Point Four ’ plan. Clearly, any Commonwealth scheme must be designed to supplement, and not overlap, what is planned by the United Nations and the United States.

“ Our task should be easier in that we shall concentrate on the needs of South-east Asia, whilst other schemes are world wide and must be slow moving in practice and purpose. Furthermore, at Sydney, thought will be given to the creation of an organisation with a broader basis than the Commonwealth. The United States, with its interest in the Philippines. France, because of Indo-China, and the Netherlands, associated with Indonesia, can reasonably be asked to participate. "As at Colombo. I shall, at the forthcoming conference, be compelled to make it plain that New Zealand is not at present in a position to render financial assistance. Our contribution must be mainly in the nature of technical aid. This week, experts from each of the Commonwealth countries, including New Zealand, are holding preliminary meetings in Sydneyj working out programmes of economic assistance for the consideration of the Commonwealth Ministers when they assemble next Monday. “ Clearly, if Communism is to be halted by other than military means, the first consideration must be the improvement of agricultural production in Asian countries. Heavy machinery, tractors and bulldozers are needed, but first we can tackle the problem in a much simpler fashion. We can begin by replacing sickles with scythes, wooden ploughs by steel ones; we can improve production by introducing pesticides, better seeds for sowings and better methods of stock breeding; we can introduce windmills and simple aids to irrigation, and anyone who has visited rice-growing countries knows how important is irrigation. There is need for the most elementary work in education, health and hygiene, scientific research, forestry work and engineering. “In all these directions New Zealand can help. There is no magic way of solving the problems which confront us in South-east Asia. We can only help where ways are open to us and are sensible and possible. Those we seek to help must show a disposition to help themselves. Any plan we devise in Sydney should be based on the desire to reinforce the efforts others are willing to make on their own behalf. Any aid we give must be within the prudent capabilities of our own resources.

*' Other problems vital to peace In the Pacific will be discussed at. the conference. Whether we like it or not, we must realise that our destinies in Australia and New Zealand are irrevocably linked with what is happening in Asia today. We need policies as positive in Asia as in Europe if we are to halt Soviet Russia’s aim to engulf Asia and dominate the world."