WILL WORD “BRITISH” BE DROPPED? IT WILL DEPEND ON ASIATICS

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 October 1948, Page 5

WILL WORD “BRITISH” BE DROPPED? IT WILL DEPEND ON ASIATICS

(N.Z.P. A.—Special—Copyright.) LONDON, Oct. 28 (Recd. 6pm).— The fact that the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference reached no decision to drop the word “British” from the designation of the Commonwealth, was emphasised by the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) in an interview before leaving London to attend the United Nations conference in Paris.

The question of whether or not the word “British” wilE-be retained, Mr. Fraser made it plain, depends on the decision of the new Asiatic members of the Commonwealth about their future relationship with it.

“The London conference arrived at no decisions,” said: Mr. Fraser “What it did was to agree upon certain recommendations on consultations with the Government and the High Commissioners of the Commonwealth countries on economic matters, foreign relations, defence and. other things. The question of whether the term ‘British Commonwealth of Nations’ will continue to be used was not the subject of any decision. When the question of remaining inside what the King called ‘this brotherhood of nations’ has been decided by the new nations, the correct nomenclature can be determined.

“New Zealand’s position as a British nation of the Commonwealth will be in no way affected, whatever designation or description may be used to describe the future relationship of the nations which at present form the British Commonwealth.

“In the face of aggression which now confronts the world, the thing is to retain in an unbroken line nations of the Commonwealth who were represented at the London confernce. With India, Pakistan and Ceylon, Canada, South Africa, Australia,

New Zealand and the United States of America, and with the support of the South American nations, no Power on earth will

dare to threaten aggression.” It is uncertain how long Mr. Fraser will remain in Paris, but he hopes, before he returns to London, to pay a brief visit to Germany.