Any Pacific Policy?

Has Australian Govt.

From Our Own Correspondent

Canberra, Mar. 26.

DURING a statement by the Minister for External Affairs (Dr. Evatt) to day, Mr. Spender interjected that he could not find out what the Labour Government’s policy was in the Pacific.

Minister for Information (Mr. Cal well); “You wouldn’t understand it, any way.”

Replying to Mr. Spender, Dr. Evatt said: “Our policy is to prevent in the future any repetition of the disaster that came to Australia in 1942 through lack of policy. That policy is co-operation with other powers in the South-west Pacific area. We want to co-operate with the United Kingdom Government, New Zealand and other countries in terested in this area. Negotiations are now continuing with these countries.”

Earlier in his reply, Dr. Evatt said it would be the duty of both the Govern ment and Parliament to prevent any recurrence of the tragic days of 1942.

Whatever the United Nations Organi sation might do it would be essential to guard the security of the South-west Pacific, and in its defence there must be the closest co-operation with Australia’s peace-loving Pacific neighbours, especially the United States.

Dr. Evatt said it would be undesirable to deal with the question of Pacific bases piecemeal. It was necessary to consider overall defence arrangements for the Western Pacific, including the islands formerly mandated to Japan.

He said: “Australia is going to make no arrangements for the use of Manus as a base until there is some under standing as to how it would be used in the event of a disturbance in the South west Pacific.”