Randolph Churchill Makes Candid Assertion on Russian Imperialism

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 September 1947, Page 5

Randolph Churchill Makes Candid Assertion on Russian Imperialism

"U.S. Monopoly of Atom Bomb Saved Western Europe

(Press Association) AUCKLAND, Sept. 29 Only son of Britain’s wartime leader and as provocative and outspoken as his famous father in his interpretation of world affairs, Mr. Randolph Churchill arrived in Auckland by flying-boat from Australia. Later he made a candid assessment of Russian Imperialist pretensions, described Communist groups abroad as a fifth column belter organised than Hitler’s agents, and claimed that America s temporary monopoly of the atom bomb bad saved Western Europe from being enslaved by the Soviet.

In stature and manner as well as in turn of speech, Air. Churchill is a son of his father. At. the age of 37 he has the same square, determined features, the same forward set of the head, the same plunging gait and the same expressive hands and. as he remarked at a press conference tonight, he “certainly shares” bis father’s views on Russia.

Outward signs were as bad today as they were in the days of Hitler. Mr. Churchill said. Propaganda churned out from Moscow bore an unpleasant resemblance to the work of the late lamented Dr. Goebbels. Bookafter book from the Soviet had revealed that tli e Russian intention was to conquer the world by conspiracy, and revolutionary fifth columns throughout the world were seeking to get control of trade unions in democratic countries. They had completely captured the unions of France and Italy. They had achieved an influence far beyond their strength in Australia, and in Britain, where their numbers were small, they dominated three or four industrial groups. “If tilings are allowed to go on as they ar c I am quite certain there will be war,” he bluntly declared. “On the other hand, if the fre P nations remain united and strong it cannot come about because they are so much stronger than any potential aggressor. They must not allow themselves to be divided, conquered or subverted from within.”

War at the moment was ruled out by America’s monopoly of the atom bomb. It was a vanishing asset that could not be preserved for ever, but there was a certainty of ten years in which a more permanent foundation could be laid for peace. Had it not been for the atom bomb the whole of Europe would have been enslaved by Russia and nothing could have stopped Soviet might from rolling forward to the western coastline. The future lay in the unity and strength of the free nations, who were 20 times as strong as the Soviet in military, industrial and scientific terms. He had not been led astray by any Bolshevik bogey conjured up in America. If there were a fear of Russia it lay in Europe, where millions of people "got down on their knees every night and thanked God that the United States had the monopoly of the atom bomb.” FIFTH COLUMNS “The Soviet fifth column abroad is an infinitely better thing than the

groups that Hitler organised," Mr. Churchill claimed. “They are actively working for Communist mastery of the world. Communist parties put the interests of Russia ahead of the interests of their own countries and take their orders from Moscow. I see no reason yet to stop calling them fifth columnists, spie s and traitors to their own countries.” Mr. Churchill discounted a suggestion that it might be American policy to force a “defensive” war on Russia.

“To talk of Soviet fear s of America is just poppycock," he added. “In fact, when I was in Moscow I asked Mr. Vishinsky if he woke during the night and trembled with fear at the prospect of the United States dropping atom bombs on the Kremlin." BRITAIN’S HARDSHIPS

After expressing the opinion that Australia, with one-sixth of the population of Britain, should make a larger defence contribution than onetwentieth of Britain's outlay, Mr. Churchill said the hardships so far experienced bv Britain in the postwar crisis were only portents of what was to come. Conditions would get worse before they got better. Export targets could not be reached as soon as had been planned and the gap must be bridged by more cuts. The real seriousness of the position had been disguised and no one except the courageous Sir Stafford Cripps had warned the people of the true gravity of the situation. A cut of 25 to 30 per cent, in rations might easily become necessary within a few months. Of the controversy between his father and the British Prime Minister. Mr. Attlee, on the contribution of the Socialist policy to the crisis, Mr. Churchill pithily remarked: '1 dont agree with Mr. Attlee." Later, when the importance of increased production was discussed, he declared that because of taxation and other factors the only commodity that could be bought in unlimited quantity in Britain today was leisure. Then he added: “Capitalism, you know, uses the carrot. Th,. Communists prefer to rely on the stick. But the Socialists, who like to go somewhere in between, take away the donkey. Mr. Churchill will spend about a fortnight in the Dominion. He will be given a mayoral reception tomorrow and he is to deliver the first of a series of lectures In the Town Hall on Wednesday and Thursday. When in Wellington early next month he will be the guest of th e Governor-General, Sir Bernard Freyberg, with whom he was associated in the Middle East during the Desert campaign.