NO MAGIC METHOD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27388, 13 May 1950, Page 7

NO MAGIC METHOD

Solving Problems Of South-east Asia

MR DOIDGE’S VIEW

NZPA —Copyright

Rec. 11.45 p.m. SYDNEY, May 12. There is no magic way of solving the problems which confront us in South-east Asia,” said Mr F. W. Doidge. Minister for External Affairs and New Zealand delegate to the Sydney Conference*on Economic Aid to South-east Asia, when he arrived in Sydney by flying boat today. “We can only help where the ways open to us are sensible and possible,” Mr Doidge said. "Any plan we devise in Sydney should be based on the desire to reinforce the efforts which others are willing to make on their own behalf. Any aid we give must be within prudent capabilities of our own resources. 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.” Mr Doidge said New Zealand shared in Australia’s desire for a Japanese peace treaty which would provide long-term safeguards against a resurgence of Japanese militarism. “We have no desire to deny Japan the right to develop her peaceful industries and trade in order' to provide a decent standard of life for her growing population and to assist Asian countries generally. A Japan reduced to economic despair by unnecessarily harsh treaty terms could very well be driven to fresh expansionist adventures or turn to Communism.”

Mr Doidge did not say whether the question of a draft Japanese treaty would be discussed at next week’s conference. Mr Doidge said he hoped that the work of the South-east Asian Conference would provide the foundation for a Pacific pact. “It seems to be sheer folly to think that the Atlantic Treaty alone can wall in the tide of Communism that threatens to engulf the world. Indeed, it will only divert its onrush to the Pacific unless we can build in this area of the world a similar bulwark of peace.”