Truman^may o6^ 8 ! vefy advanced
pp. 7-8 · Read in the full issue
Western Disunity Brings War
Nearer
INTERNATIONAL events move on to the inevitable climax. In the opinion of Sir Keith Murdoch, Australia’s shrewdest newspaper man, just back from Europe and America, the only thing that can stop the outbreak of World War 111 would be the heavy re- “f, ° f iw orf W s A e , r il at i on fr especially United States and the , the of their economy to a war basis. is T ta e k?J S t^ 6 Sign ° f that Ame ri Ca cisions; but BritafnTnd France wifi not face up to the stark facts of the Communist plot to get control of the world. France is non-co-operative; and Britain, under the disastrous regime introduced by the Socialists’ political victory in 1945, is now in a condition similar to that of France in 1940, when she collapsed like a house of cards under the German assault.
There is every justification for the forthright demand of the American Republican leader, Senator Taft, that United States armies shall not be sent to defend Europe unless and until Britain and France give a lead to the Western European nations in buildmg up powerful forces to resist the Russian bloc. Since 1945, those two Powers have been frittering away their resources m ill-conceived and very ill-timed Socialistic experiments, while accepting incalculable amounts contributed in money and in service by the all-too-generous Americans.
It is beyond question that Britain, France and Italy—and especially the two latter—are honeycombed with underground Communist intrigue, planned in the hope that they will succumb to the Fifth Column when Russia strikes. If they cannot rally !,° r , th S™ n defence, why should the United States carry lavish aid to them change-over across the Atlantic? . I Attfee-San talks in Wash-
Truman^may o6^ 8 ! vefy advanced
Democrat at least he Ttandl foursauare for the Western wav of life- Xte Attlee if merely the untaaginative 'andunTnsbWng mouth- Zr n fßritkh which
consciously* unconscioSiv—is the
mf le ° nf There £ere between them few noints of real aUout effort, and the ruthless employ- 2^?A^ f Q ou F strength.
S °c iali st Government, on the other hand, will continue oth national and Imperial interests, lf can hang on to office and continue with its attack on indmdualism and private enterprise.
The same irreconcilable factors are discernible already in the London meeting of British Prime Ministers.
Attlee representing the Mother Countrv stands stnbbornlv for Socialism Australia Canada Y and New Zealand are anti-Socialist and pro-
American; India and Pakistan are trying to find a balance between their fear of Communism and their hatred of Europeans. They all are suspicious of the Socialists’ policy. But if Britain had a strong, and anti-Socialist Prime Minister, the whole Empire would line up with the United States and the smaller Western Democracies for uncompromising defence, and the hideous threat of World War 111 would immediately be reduced.
It is the domination of the Euro pean situation by the British Socialists that makes the general outlook so blue. That is preventing cohesion and co-operation within the Empire, and is poisoning the relations between the British and Americans.
And—the irony of it—the British Socialists hold power because they have a majority of less than a dozen in a House of over 600!
IT is difficult to make even an intel ligent guess at what we are doing —or trying to do —in Korea. Having cleaned up the North Koreans very thoroughly, and occupied North Korea, we have ourselves been forced by countless masses of fanatical Chinese Reds to retreat precipitately into the tip of South Korea. All the United Nations now are savagely fighting against Communist China; yet we have not declared war upon China, and we have refused to use our planes and ships against the Chinese supply lines and bases.
The only thing that is clear about this fantastic and obscure situation is that it is the result of lack of unity between the Atlantic Pact nations.
America probably wants a state of war with Red China, but without the entanglements of an invasion, while she swiftly re-arms for the greater struggle against the arch-enemy, Russia. Equally probably, Britain wants to break off the war in Korea and admit Red China to the United Nations, in the hope that thereby she can negotiate with the Chinese and detach them from Russia.
Meanwhile, the Moscow-inspired attack proceeds, not only in Korea, but also in Indo-China, Malaya and Tibet; and there are indications of liveliness near the Russian borders of Persia, the Caspian area, the Balkans, and Central Europe.
The Americans, sensitive in relation to Formosa and Japan, see the Far East as a major danger spot. The
French and the Indians are con cerned about South-East Asia. Britain and the Western European nations insist that the peril is greatest in Western Europe. But, if it is the Russians’ plan to partially paralyse all the Democratic nations with one blow, the thrust will come first in the Middle East, with a view to the seiz ure of the Suez Canal and the great oil wells of that region.
It is inconceivable that this tension can continue much longer. We may have four or five months in which to avoid World War 111, by negotiation— but, at the moment, there is not one hopeful sign. Most northern hemis phere wars commence between June and September, when summer is come, and the land has dried out.