Britain To Stand Side By Side 3 With United States

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27567, 8 December 1950, Page 7

Britain To Stand Side By Side 3 With United States

NZP A—Copyright WASHINGTON, Dec. 6. The British Prime Minister, Mr Attlee, said today that with the grave military position in Korea the present was no time for criticism. He declared Britain’s intention to stand side by side with the United States. Mr. Attlee made these statements in a major foreign policy address to a packed meeting of the National Press Club between two sessions of his third conference with President Truman. Describing as a “ notable achievement” what General MacArthur had done in Korea, Mr Attlee said: “The fact that, faced with overwhelming odds, the United Nations forces are now in difficulties should not obscure what was done under General MacArthur’s skilful and resolute leadership. “ You may be certain that in fair or foul weather, where the Stars and Stripes fly in Korea the British flag will fly beside them. We stand by our duty. We stand by our friends. Times are critical, and it would be idle to deny that the forces of the United Nations have suffered a serious setback. But this is not the time for criticism. We must seek to find how best to help those who are bearing the burden.” Mr Attlee did not give a report of his talks with President Truman because the talks were in progress. He said, however, that, although there were bound to be differences of emphasis between Britain and the United States, the talks were “already enabling us to understand each other’s point of view.” ‘ . . Stating that during the war Britain and the United States had one great common objective of victory, Mr Attlee said that “since the war the United States and Britain have striven for one aim—the preservation of peace and the promotion of freedom and prosperity throughout the world.” Closest Co-operation Declaring that there was never a time when co-operation between Britain and the United States was closer or more friendly, Mr Attlee said of his talks with President Truman: “I wanted to have with the President the broadest possible survey of world affairs and the frankest interchange of views. The objectives of our two countries are the same. It is evident that with our different geographical positions and different responsibilities there should be some differences of emphasis.” Saying that the talks enabled an understanding of each other’s viewpoint, Mr Attlee said: “That is the first and most necessary step in the forming of a common policy, for the ends we seek are not in dispute—they are not in doubt.” Mr Attlee said that everyone had to recognise that the overall situation had deteriorated in the past few days. “It is our task here to review the world situation and consider carefully our further course of action,” he said. “We must always beware of taking the short views, dictated by emotion. We must always recall that the milltary objectives are means to an end, not ends in themselves.” He said the purpose of the military operations by the United Nations was to halt aggression and to establish lasting conditions of peace. We must always bear in mind,” he said, that the people of the Far East have some time or other to live as neighbours, and we want them to be good neighbours. Our long-term object always is to get rid of the causes of war. That does not mean we have any intention of indulging in what is called appeasement —a word of ill-omen. I am told that there are people who believe that that is why I have come here. That is not true. We all know from our own bitter experience that appeasement does not pay, but we in Britain are deeply concerned with all that goes on in Asia.” Recognition of Communist China Mr Attlee said that Britain had a long association with the peoples of Asia and was vitally concerned with the “ great land mass of Asia.” Turning to Britain’s recognition ot the Communist Chinese as the lawful Government of China. Mr Attlee said: “ We are asked how we can have diplomatic relations with the Government of China when its policies have clashed with the United Nation* objectives in Korea.

. “My answer is..quite straight-for-ward. The Chinese People’s Government has control of all the mainland territory of China. It commands the obedience of some 400,000,000 Chinese. These are stubborn facts. It is no good shutting one’s eyes to them. How can we refuse to recognise these facts? Are we to cut off contact with onesixth of the inhabitants of the world? Our recognition of the Chinese People’s Government was recognition of obvious facts.” Mr Attlee then dealt with the British Commonwealth’s economic assistance plan for South-east Asia. He said that the subsidiary title for the plan. “ New Horizons in the East,” expressed the hope which all members of the Commonwealth had in the plan. He said it was necessary not only to have a political and military policy for the area, there must also be an economic and social policy. “Our aim is to try to get rid of those terrible extremes of poverty in that part of i the world,” he said. “All kinds of dangerous movements grow from this poverty.” Mr Attlee said that the meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in January would be particularly valuaable because of his refreshing talks with President Truman. He said there were three links on which Britain rested—one link was with the United States, one with the Commonwealth, and one with the rest of the world, especially Europe. Two world wars had shown how strong these links could be and how closely defence of freedom and democracy depended on strong action between the United States and the United Kingdom. Mr Attlee said the democracies' forces in Europe were growing in size “to defend the Atlantic community if anyone wished to attack it.” He declared:- “I am confident that those who have pledged themselves to defend freedom will do so successfully.” Stating that Britain and the United States drew their inspiration from the same spiritual sources, Mr Attlee concluded: “ I am certain that our talks here will make for full understanding and increased co-operation in the great causes that we all have at heart.”