CONFLICTING VIEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23188, 30 April 1945, Page 4

CONFLICTING VIEWS

Britain And Dominions (7.30 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, April 28. The “New York Times” correspondent at the conference says: “Australia. New Zealand and Canada are likely to take a different position from Great Britain on certain vital issues at UNCIO without breaking the Commonwealth bonds.

Australia, seconded by New Zealand, will attempt to raise the question of embodying full post-war employment in the charter of the new international organisation. They raised this at 1.L.0. in Philadelphia and at Bretton Woods, but Britain strongly opposed it. because she believes it should be achieved by individual countries on their own initiative.

Britain also disagrees with the Australians and New Zealanders on international trusteeships for dependent peoples in the Pacific. The British fear that this means the international administration of colonial areas in the Pacific, including the Netherlands East Indies, Indo-China, and British and Portuguese Colonies.

The Australians say they are only interested in the establishment of international bases on certain islands recaptured from Japan. Their idea is that these bases should come under the South Seas Commission, linking the question of trusteeship closely with regional arrangements and their relationship to a world organisation. Under such an arrangement, Australians and New Zealanders, French, Dutch, British and Americans would jointly operate the air and naval bases at particular strategic points. Although the official Australian attitude is a complete disavowal of her intention to demand the international administration of colonial areas in which some bases were located, British fears have not been allayed as it is understood that certain rnembers of the Australian group favour very strongly pushing the demand for international administration.