Prime Ministers Of The British Commonwealth Assemble At No. 10 Downing Street To Start Talks

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 April 1949, Page 5

Prime Ministers Of The British Commonwealth Assemble At No. 10 Downing Street To Start Talks

LONDON, April 22 (Rec. 1.30 am). —Prime Ministers of the Dominions of the British Commonwealth of Nations assembled today at No. 10 Downing Street to begin a series of talks, in the main, directed to the future status of India, and its effect, on the Commonwealth. (New Zealand was represented by Mr. Fraser). A small crowd gathered outside No. 10 to watch the Ministers arriving. First to arrive was the Prime Minister of Ceylon. He was followed by Mr. Fraser, who had with him the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London (Mr. Jordan). Then came Mr. C’nifley (Australia). Last to arrive was the Prime Minister of

Pakistan (Liquat Ali Khan). Today’s discussions will be formal. Mr. Attlee will be in the chair. Prior to the arrival of the Dominion Ministers, Mr. Attlee had spent the morning in the Cabinet room with the principal Ministers of the Cabinet, including the Chancellor of the Excheqer (Sir Stafford Cripps), the Foreign Secretary (Mr. Ernest Bevin), the Lord President of the Council (Mr. Herbert Morrison) and the Attorney-General (Sir Hartley Shawcross).

Intensive preliminary work for the conference was completed yesterday, when Mr. Attlee had private talks with Mr. Fraser and Liaquat Ali Khan and a 95 minutes’ consultation with Pandit Nehru, Prime Minister of India. Mr. Attlee has now had talks with all the visiting statesmen. These talks have extended over three days. Mr. Attlee s object has been to discuss procedure for the full meetings of the Prime Ministers, and to get an idea of the Dominion Prime Ministers’ views on the only question that will come before the conference—lndia's place as a member of the British Commonwealth after she becomes an independent republic. It is understood that Mr. Attlee told each Prime Minister that the British Cabinet had an open mind on the ; question, and that it desired the fullest and frankest discussion of all issues involved. Mr. Attlee is understood to have suggested that in the early stages of the conference, only Prime Ministers should take part in the discussions. He is also understood to have asked for the Prime Ministers’ views on publicity. It is known that Mr. Attlee’s view is that nothing should be said about the conference until it ends. IN STRICTEST SECRECY. The conference will be conducted in the strictest secrecy, and further to ensure privacy, special telephones have been installed in the hotels where the Prime Ministers are staying. The telephones are of the ‘scrambler” type, which renders tapping of wires abortive. Dr. Malan is the only Dominions’ Prime Minister who has not previously attended a Commonwealth meeting at Downing Street. It is understood that his talk with Mr. Attlee was cordial.

Mr. Fraser paid a courtesy call on Dr. Malan at his hotel yesterday. Large crowds watched the Dominions’ Prime Ministers arrive at Downig Street for a sherry party given by Mr. Attlee. This was the first gathering of Prime Ministers since their arrival In London. Later, the Prime Ministers went to Buckingham Palace for luncheon. A small crowd cheered Mr. Attlee end the Prime Ministers as they entered Buckingham Palace. Members of the Royal Family who attended the luncheon, in addition to Their Majes-

ties, were Queen Mary, Princess Eliza- ’ beth and the Duke of Edinburgh, I Princess Margaret, the Duke ana Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Kent, Princess Alice and the Earl of Athlone. There were no formal speeches at the luncheon. Discussing the Prime Ministers’ talks on India’s future, “The Times” in an editorial says that if the way were already clear and easy—or if there was certainly no way to be found—the Prime Ministers and their representatives would not have to come from the end of the earth to find it. “They come to practise again the faith in discussion which has rightly been called an essential feature of the Commonwealth system,” says “The Times.” “The result of the meeting, whichever way it goes, will have its impact on republican desires in other Commonwealth countries, where the tradition of a representative monarchy and the sense of personal attachment to the Royal Family are not the strongest. “The story of Eire brings us a stern warning against attempts to paper over differences with constitutional devices when a desire for closer union is lacking. The security of India depends to a larger degree than is often recognised on sea and air power, which is the prime safeguard for Commonwealth territories, and communications from the Mediterranean to Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Mr. Churchill once said he never believed that the Commonwealth needed tying together with bits of stringrmeaning an empty formulae. He might have said that it never could be tied together with bits of string. The over-riding need is for complete frankness and for an agreement, if it can be devised, capable of being accepted as valid and firmly based by the peoples of India and by other Commonwealth peoples, and by the rest of the world.”

The left Wing “New Statesman” states that the Prime Ministers have to beware of two dangers. “The first is that of stretching the already tenuous constitution until it dissipates itself into thin air,” says the paper. “The second is that of creating a special status for India which might lead first to a special status for Pakistan and Ceylon, and then to a special status for South Africa, until finally, the Commonwealth would be nothing but a congeries of special cases. It remains to be seen whether India can discard its subordination to the Crown as a symbol of Empire without severing its allegiance to the King as a symbol of kinship in a family of free and equal nations which share common citizenship while retaining complete national sovereignty. “If a solution along these lines is found, Labour Britain will have developed for the first time in history since the fall of Rome a free citizenship which genuinely transcends race. The full development of this concept involves defeating the colour prejudice in all the Dominions.”