British Empire Should Merge With United States

Wanganui Chronicle, 3 October 1947, Page 5

British Empire Should Merge With United States

CHICAGO PAPER REVIVES IDEA OF DROPPING THE CROWN

(N.Z.P. A.—Reuter—Copyright.) Received 7 p.m. CHICAGO, Oct. 1 The “Chicago Tribune.” in an editorial headed “Japan as Model for British Status,” says England and Canada have recently been flirting with the idea of “political reunion” with the United States.John Stevenson, retired Canadian correspondent for the “London Tinies.” advanced the proposal in articles written for the. “Toronto fllohr and Mail ’*

me loronto bione and Man. “Four years ago we (the “Tribune”) initiated the project of giving the British Empire a new lease of life by converting it from an Empire into American States. We said naturally that this meant dispensing with the King and nobility. "If the British think the transition would be difficult, they need only remind themselves that the great statesman, General MacArthur, has solved the question of the Crown and the nobility in the new Constitution he approved for Japan on March 7. 1946. If Hirohito, whose title in direct line is said to go back some 2600 years, can renounce Royal authority and even his claim to Divinity, it should be much simpler for George VI and the British peers to engage in an act of reunuciation.” "The "Tribune'' recalls its sugges-

lion that Scotland, Wales and Ireland should join the United States as separate State; Canada should be another, and Australia and New Zealand, contiguous islands, might form yet ani other. , “They can establish their eligibility < by adopting constitutions of a repub- ' lican character modelled upon that of j Japan.” says the paper. "All of them are sadly in need of protection of I written constitutions anyway, and deserve. no less than the Japanese, to [ become acuainted with freedom of ' thought, conscience, Press, religion and speech. "Once the petitioning new republics complete their constitutions and apply for admission to an American Union, a Congressional joint resolution is all that is required to accept them as new States. If the question is ever presented in this form, ‘The Tribune' wi’l be disposed to view favourably the accomplishment of this labour of amelioration and reconciliation.”