CHURCHILL’S VIEWS ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 October 1948, Page 5

CHURCHILL’S VIEWS ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

(N.Z.P.A. —Reuter—copyright) LONDON, Oct. 28.—Continuing the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Commons today. Mr. Churchill said the Statute of Westminster swept away constitutional safeguards which seemed to cramp the freedom and. independence of the great self-govern-ing Dominions, and to rely for unity and cohesion of the Empire solely upon the link of the Crown. They were now asked to consider the abandonment of that sole remaining symbol and. the legal foundation of the Empire. The words Empire, Dominion and British, which hitherto had claimed many loyalties and much agreement, had associated- with them well-known conceptions. “It may be witnin a number of years that another Empire conference will take a different view,” said Mr Churchill. “This one wasn’t united on the subject. There are not at the moment many Conservative Prime Ministers in the Empire, but it may be that this proportion will be reversed in the near future and a more robust spirit will prevail.” POSITION IN IRELAND Mr. Churchill said he always hoped there would be a united Ireland, but Ulster and the northern countries should not be compelled to join the Dublin Government against their wishes They should be courted, not raped Mr. Costello's decision might well forever prevent a United Ireland, and nothing could be a greater encouragement to Dr,.Malan to sever all ties between South Africa and Britain and make it clear that, while every form of symbolic association might be destroyed, no practical inconvenience would result. Speaking of India, Mr. Churchill said that some day justice would be done by world opinion to Britain's record in India, but the chapter was closed. Britain could not make herself responsible for the defence of any part of India against external attack, otherwise than as part of her duty to the United Nations, unless the link was preserved with the Crown and unless they formed part of the British Empire or the Commonwealth of Nations, or unless a treaty was made. “Apparently the Socialist Government wishes to direct us into nels where these words will be heard no more, or as little as possible,” he added. “Indeed, I wonder that the word Commonwealth should satisfy the requirements of Socialist statesmanship. If all these exclusions and inhibitions are to be dropped, it would seem only logical to adopt some completely loose, meaningless term.” WIDESPREAD CONCERN. Such grave constitutional changes should not be effected in- this way and the project had caused widespread concern, especially in New Zealand and Australia. Mr. Churchill said the Conservative Party would resist any attempt to destroy the expression British Empire, abandon the constitutional term Dominion, or abolish the word British from the collective designation. All good Socialists were urged to abstain as much as they could from using such words to enable Mr. Costello and Mr. Nehru to participate to the full, if they chose, in all benefits of the association. without committing themselves to the slightest obligation or to any symbolic or sentimental token or gesture in return, THE WESTERN UNION Referring to the Western Union, Mr. Churchill said whatever military preparations were made in the west to aid defence, they could only be for many years to come a subsidiary to the deterrent effect of the atomic bomb. “This alone at pres'ent prevents the re-barbarisation and enslavement of Europe by Communist forces directed by the Kremlin.” After referring to the fact that talk of war risk was on the lips of all leading Ministers, Mr. Churchill said that in th'e matter of armed forces they found themselves falling between two stools of previous undue extravagance, and later imprudent dispersal The Conservatives took no responsibility for the present state of Britain’s defences He said the proposed nationalisation of the iron and steel industry was not brought forward on its merits, or to help national revival or production. “We can discern only too plainly squalid Party motives behind it. We shan’t hesitate if we win the elections to expunge from the Statute Book tjie nationalisation measures which stand on no better foundation than that of doctrinal fallacy and Party intrigue.” “MISCHIEVOUS” Mr. Herbert Morrison described Mr. Churchill’s speech as “the least effective criticism of the Government he has made. His observations on the Empire and Commonwealth were irresponsible, miseliievous and calculated‘to do a great deal of harm.” “The trouble with Mr. Churchill is that he is incapable of moving forward as the years go by,” said Mr. Morrison. “We believe that Comwealth is a better word in spirit and accuracy in describing this extraordinary assembly of nations than the word British.” He added that the spirit of unity in the Commonwealth was greater than it ever was. Mr. Morrison said the observations of Mr- Churchill on Mr. Costello and Mr. Nehru were not useful. No one could have been more co-operative and helpful than the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan and Ceylon.