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p. 129 · Read in the full issue
Australian Official’S
Realism On Asia
From a Special Correspondent
London, Feb. 17.
TOUR readers may be interested L in statements made by a gentle man on the staff of Australia ouse, when he (on invitation) gave lecture to “the Far Eastern Panel : the Conservative Commonwealth ouncil.”
I do not imagine that this body .ay be taken very seriously—l find 3 indication that it has any in iience on the moulding of Colonial ffice policy. I had a chance to at nd this lecture; and I think some the lecturer’s statements are a tir indication of the unrealistic itlook of the average public ser ce bureaucrat.
In answer to a question, the cturer said that New Guinea is i>t Australia’s first line of defence, alaya and South East Asia are.
The lecturer was of opinion that idonesia should be treated toler itly. He gave absolutely no in cation of the state of chaos in le country. He did not think an ;tack on Dutch New Guinea was ; all likely. The same opinion was :pressed by an MP who had been cently on a visit to Indonesia.
This lecturer expressed horror at suggestion that Australia should Lthdraw from Trusteeship System New Guinea. Is there not a type : mandate whereby the Trustee lip council does not inspect or sit territories where vital defences e involved? Did not United States :clude the “Trustees” from Micro tia on these grounds? Does not ew Guinea come under that type, The lecturer exhibited a touch g faith in the Colombo Plan. He d not take seriously a suggestion at it was “money down the drain.”
Australia is now slightly more lerant towards Japan, he said.