The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1942. IMPERIAL WAR CABINET

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22184, 30 January 1942, Page 4

The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1942. IMPERIAL WAR CABINET

THE willing promptitude with which the British Government has met the Australian Prime Minister’s demand for representation in the British War Cabinet shows that there was no need for anything so forceful as a demand to have been made at all. A hint, apparently, was all that was necessary. Mr Churchill, in his House of Commons speech, mentioned that the British Government had always been ready to form an Imperial War Cabinet, so it may be assumed that the reason why an Imperial War Cabinet possessing full powers has not been created is that the Dornin* ion Governments did not unanimously favour the proposal. When discussing the question in his speech Mr Churchill said: “The Australian Government has now asked specifically that an accredited representative of the Commonwealth should have the right to be heard in the War Cabinet in the formulation and direction of policy. We have, of course, agreed to this. New Zealand has felt bound to ask for similar representation and the same facilities will, of course be available for Canada and South Africa. The presence at the Cabinet table of Dominion representatives not empowered to take decisions, but only representatives of their Governments, evidently raises some serious problems, but none, I trust, which cannot be got over.” In commenting on this section of Mr Churchill's speech, Mr Fraser admitted that Dominion Ministers sitting in the British War Cabinet would raise some problems because “they must necessarily consult their own Governments.” “They are,” be said, “in a different position from thA British Ministers who are themselves the Government, but again, as Mr Churchill says, those difficulties can be overcome.” Perhaps they can, but the surmounting of these difficulties must be a problem for solution by the Dominion Governments themselves. Present indications are that Canada and South Africa are satisfied with the ex|sfing system of Imperial communication on war policy questions. They have, at least, exhibited no anxiety to be represented at British War Cabinet meetings. It is difficult to see how the concession made by the British Government is going to be particularly helpful either to Australia or New Zealand. It is no concern of the British Government that the representatives of Australia and New Zealand should not be free to vote as they think best at War Cabinet meetings. If the situation stays as it is now the only effect of the British Government’s acceptance of Mr Curtin’s “demand” is that Australian and New Zealand Ministers will attend British Cabinet meetings more as observers than anything else. They will, of course, be able to place the views of their respective Governments before the War Cabinet, and their view will be considered, but it is not likely that they will have much greater effect on policy than the representations which have been made by the Dominion Governments since the war began. There is, presumably, no defect in the means of communication which have so far been adopted, and it has yet to be seen whether the voices of the Dominions will be heard much more distinctly merely because observers are present at War Cabinet meetings. In view of the limited functions of Dominion representatives at these meetings it is doubtful whether New Zealand need even trouble to scud a Minister to England for the solitary purpose of attending them and taking over some of the present responsibilities of the High Commissioner in London. In Sir Earle .Page Australia already has a Minister in Britain, one who has apparently become rather restive because of the small amount of work he has had to do. Whether the New Zealand Government intends to send a Cabinet Minister to London is not yet known, but if it is decided to do so, the smallest return the Dominion can make for the British Government’s gesture is that someone better than a sparepart Ministerial nonentity should be sent.