DANGER OF COLLAPSE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27391, 17 May 1950, Page 7

DANGER OF COLLAPSE

Commonwealth Conference On South-east Asia RESISTANCE TO IMMEDIATE AID New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 11 p.m. ' SYDNEY, May 16. The economic conference on South-east Asia is in imminent danger of collapse, according to authoritative sources. It transpires that only three countries are willing to give immediate aid—Australia, Pakistan and Ceylon. The others, while agreeing to a long-range plan, will not agree to the establishment of a Commonwealth fund for immediate urgent relief. Authoritative sources state that the greatest resistance to the application of immediate aid stems from the British Treasury officials. It is also stated that Sir Stafford Cripps has shown a complete indifference to the whole problem. Lord. Macdonald and Mr Ernest Bevin are sympathetic, but are not sufficiently strong to carry their point. The presence at the conference of Mr R. W. B. Clarke, a high official of the British Treasury, far from being an encouraging factor seems to be the very opposite. Apparently his definite mission is to apply the breaks. India also is indifferent to the question of immediate relief. India, like the dissident countries—the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand —opines that the most logical approach is to confine the conference’s attention, to a long-range scheme to be put into operation at some dim and distant date.

One point that greatly troubles Australia, Pakistan, and Ceylon is the fact that if the conference fails the needy countries of South-east Asia will feel that they are in a worse position than if no proposal had ever been mooted. It will of course come to them as a very heavy blow as there have been high hopes that sometning real and something practical would have come out of the Sydney conlerence. It is now seen that the objection raised when the United Kingdom Government appointed a junior Minister rather than a senior Minister was valid and that the United Kingdom Government did not it. fact take the Sydney conference seriously. Lord Macdonald Satisfied suggestions that the British attitude had “ bogged down ” proceedings at the conference on the question of granting aid to South-east Asia, the leader of the United Kingdom delegation, Lord iv:acdonald, said: “ I do not know who your informant is, but he is badly misinformed. I am satisfied with the progress of the conference. The only policy my delegation is putting forward is the unanimous policy of the Imperial Government.” It is learned from authoritative sources that the Australian Minister of External Affairs, Mr P. C. Spender, is disappointed hecause he firmly believes that had the conference gone v eil, at least two Western countries would have been glad to join. The Netherlands had shown a deep interest and had lent more than a sympathetic ear to the suggestion that she join the Commonwealth countries in building up the unstable governments of some Southeast Asian countries. It is also feared that the failure of the Sydney conference will cause the United States to lose interest. The expected committee meetings have not yet taken place. Informed circles state that Mr Spender has kept the conference in plenary session because he feared that if the conference broke up into committees a' decision on the matter of establishing a fund for application for immediate relief would be postponed indefinitely. Afternoon papers give front-page space to stories of a crisis at the'conference.

The Sydney Sun says: “The crisis has already developed. In camera talks late yesterday revealed what appeared to be a solid bloc of opinion against tackling immediately the problem of the depressed areas. Preconference discussions among experts from the seven participating countries showed official disinclinaton to adopt a short-term approach to the situation. This attitude was described today as the “ narrow Treasury approach,’’ which, it was argued, should be promptly rejected. When the conference resumed in camera today, it is believed that Mr Spender again warned of the dangers to world peace of pursuing a policy of drift in Southeast Asia, and that this view was solidly supported by the leader of the Pakistan delegation, Chaudry Nazir Ahmed Khan, who declared that the situation called for urgent and immediate action.” The Mirror states: “The advocacy of go-slow tactics by Great Britain and most other Powers at yesterday’s closed sessions of the conference ’ has perturbed the Australian Government. It is reliably stated that only Pakistan, and to a lesser extent Ceylon, are showing any sympathy 'with the Australian view that there should be immediate aid to those parts of Asia facing the threat of Communist aggression.”

Dangers Emphasised

Attention on the Sydney Conference is focused in more particular terms by Mr Ward Price, writing in the Daily Mail. In a despatch from Bangkok he compares the position now developing in South-east Asia as a “ grim parallel ” with the European situation of 1938-39. Communism today, like Nazism 12 years ago, he declares, is on the move, confronted only by a hesitating and divided resistance. Recent events in South-east Asia he describes as preliminary gestures foreshadowing a Communist military attack —invasion being preceded by infiltration. “But while the danger grows more threatening the attention of the Western Governments continues to be concentrated on Germany,” he says. “The front door is guarded, whereas it is against the back door in Eastern Asia that the next push is likely to be made.” Mr Price also declares that the only way to increase the defensive powers of the countries of South-east Asia is to co-ordinate them. “At present each Government makes independent plans for its defence, the only common feature of their policy being an outstretched palm towards the United States,” he writes. “If a South-east Asia military pact could be brought into existence it would not only increase the efficiency of its respective members, but also serve as a plain warning to the Communist Governments of Moscow and Peking that the policy of imposing their will on weaker nations will in future be resisted in Asia as in Europe.” Aid Urgently Needed The New Delhi correspondent of the Daily Telegraph also uses the occasion of the Sydney conference as an opportunity to emphasise the Communist “ infiltration from Kandy to the Khyber Pass.” After making a journey between those two points, the correspondent says that his over-riding impression is: “ Hindu India, Moslem Pakistan, and Buddhist Ceylon ail badly need economic and technical aid from the West. Communism’s ugly ferment is at work, among their impoverished masses, in the poverty and economic backwardness with which each of these Commonwealth members is weighed down. Already it has progressed farther than is generally realised. Its champions are taking a calculated advantage of every problem and growing pain which came with the early days of independence and nationhoodeconomic stress, communal bitterness ?nd some maladministration.” "■o the question: How secure are India, Pakistan, and Ceylon against Communism? the correspondent declares: “That will depend upon how soon help is forthcoming to caulk the cracks and prevent the spread.”