It Is Not A Pretty World!

Some brief impressions of various countries, gained by the :ditor and Publisher of the PIM, in a tour through Southeast Lsia, Western Europe and South Africa.

They are published here because world conditions in lirectly, and Southeast Asia conditions directly, will sooner or 3ter affect our South Pacific countries.

Indonesia: A Red Bridge to outh Pacific i S the Dutch and part-Dutch folk I. move out, under the bitter, un- S scrupulous and merciless political ressure of the Indonesians, the hinese are moving in. Chinese, kther than Indonesians, are taking le place of the Dutch, as traders, lipowners, financiers.

Swarms of Communist agents are >ing in with the Chinese. There 111 be a large Communist Party in le newly-elected Indonesian Par iment.

The Indonesians are babbling, in mpetent people, whose idea of (vernment is to establish a police ate.

Indonesia, under conditions now iveloping, is likely to be a danger is neighbour for Australia, and the luth Pacific generally.

Singapore—Malaya—Borneo

THESE are the last countries of the great Empire-in-Asia over which the Union Jack flew only 25 years ago; and in all the world to-day there is no sight more likely to create misgiving and depression in the heart of a good Britisher.

Right here, amid the rioting of Chinese student hoodlums and the posturings of semi-literate Malayan politicians, I saw in operation the processes which represent the de plorable retreat of our once-great Colonial Power.

A volume could be written about the causes of it all. Sufficient to say here that as the British and French (Indo-China) retire from Southeast Asia, the Chinese are swarming in and already are actually, if not nominally, in control of commerce and finance. Behind

the scenes, they control also much of the administration.

Within a very few years, the Reds will be dominant also in Burma and Siam; and the way will be open for the Chinese to roll on through Southeast Asia and Indonesia into the South Pacific.

It was against this background that I saw something of the move ments around and following the Bandoeng (Asia-Africa) Conference and the Colombo Plan; and in neither could I see the slightest sign of anything likely to reduce the threat of Asia against the South Pacific.

The Colombo Plan may be likened, in its effectiveness, to the fiddle which Nero operated while Rome burned.

En route from Asia to London, I passed through or had a quick look at India, Ceylon, Egypt, Soudan, Suez Canal, and Cyprus, where the British are either out, or going out, or fighting to keep a foothold.

In all these countries, we have a

magnificent record of developmental achievement; we would be justified in retaining control, at least until this ideological crisis passes; but, in every case, we have seen the British official representatives bowing re spectfully to screeching native patriots and assuring them, in the name of human brotherhood and UNO and what-not, that Britain will be out immediately, or soon thereafter.

Britain; Her Economy on A Knife’s Edge SO the depressing politico economic set-up in the United Kingdom came to me as no sur prise.

Because she has lost a great pro portion of her overseas Empire, plus much of the trade that follows the flag, plus the income from Two Thousand Million Pounds formerly invested overseas and latterly spent on war, the economy of our Mother Country is balanced on a knife’s edge.

After 1850 AD, by reason of their enormous overseas possessions and profits, the British established high standards of living. Since World War 11, they have been trying tc replace their lost income and hold those living standards, by building up an enormous volume of exports.

That effort calls for very hard work and considerable austerity of living; but I found a Britain that,

after some initial success, appears to be deliberately abandoning both.

These uninstructed one-man-one vote industrial masses, completely ignorant of economic laws and of what is entailed in the loss of £2i billions of overseas investments, are howling ever more loudly for more wages and shorter hours; the politicians, naturally, are trying to

placate them; and the finances are sliding inevitably intj the red.

One sees all sorts of nation;! economic absurdities —such as hug. imports of coal from overseas, be< cause the British miners will nu hew enough British coal; and peop'c flocking into England from othu countries to undergo expenshj

[Urgical operations at the State’s Expense (for all medical service in Jritain is free). But the British basses know nothing and care less ibout the economic laws which gov irn these things. [And they are equally ignorant and juite indifferent about what is hap icning in South East Asia and other British countries overseas. The British Government is faced rith a hopeless task in trying to >alance the national economy—a ask made more hopeless and diffi ult by the complete failure of the popular” British newspapers to en ghten and instruct the masses.

Awaiting Another Miracle!

)NE’S over-riding impression of Britain is that of a stupid, [ brave, good-natured Colossus tumbling along in the dark, blind a the precipices on either hand, eaf to the warnings of the com aratively few who can see, quite Dmplacent about its ability to Bmain on the path, resolutely re using to panic.

There are 50 million people in iritain. This fertile island might, if itensively farmed, support half or vo-thirds of them in comfort. But, yen under the happiest conditions f primary production, a large umber of millions must live by taking things to send abroad in schange for food and other ssentials.

Unless the 1952-54 volume of over jas trade is maintained, living landards will come down; and then le Colossus will become bad impered, and either revolt, or sur ;nder to Communism. American lonetary gifts saved Britain be veen 1945 and 1950; but that will ot happen again.

Luck, combined with the average riton’s inability to know when he beaten, several times has saved le British nation. Maybe, some irt of economic miracle will do it jain. But, seen against a back •ound of official statistics, the •ospect is dismal and depressing.

ranee: Professional Politicians

ad Debased Currency

F one would know the ultimate effect of some of the political and economic evils which beset ir Mother Country, one should udy conditions to-day in France.

On the one side are the patriots id the intellectuals, engaged in a sing fight to maintain the culture id the glory which once gave :ance the leadership of the world.

On the other side are the fanatical teorists, the greedy and unscrupul is traders, the religious bigots, the •ofessional politicians, the treach ous Reds, split into a dozen reconcilable political parties—and ie whole festering mass dragging

France down into a sociological gutter.

Progressively, as the Mediterranean race displaces the Nordic elements which once maintained France as a great and challenging Power, France is sliding down the national scale.

Last elections, some 5,000,000 persons voted Communist and elected 99 Communists. The Red vote in forthcoming elections will be Sl f?* ficant ’ .. ..

The population has remained almpst stationary, at around 40 millions, for 30 years.

They tell me that, internally, the economic condition of Franee is quite good, despite the crippling cost of her military operations in

Asia and North Africa. But how can one have any respect for the economies of countries like France and Italy, where payment of a mere restaurant bill calls for such a mass of filthy and debased paper currency!

Italy: Overcrowded, Hungry,

fwiw—l

Hnttmg Hettwards

/"VNLY by constant struggle and political intrigue are the Com munists kept out of power in Italy—about half the people vote p, ec j it'is not difficult to see why this is so. Here are 48 million people trying to sustain life in a country where there is room only for about

[3O million. There are endless and ‘very horrible slums in all the big Cities I saw, swarming with children.

The Roman Catholic Church, still the strongest influence in Italy, sets its face resolutely against birth control. \ “There is no hope for Italy under the present conditions,” said an in telligent industrialist whom I met in Rome. “Our people just naturally turn to Communism. Tt might be better,’ they say. Tt could not be worse.’ Italy will go Communist soon. The Church is losing its in fluence.”

Germany: Red Russia’s

Nightmare

THE way in which the Germans are working, and restoring their country to prosperity and political power, is the most im pressive thing I saw in Europe, f Where the present temper of the English and the French industrial masses is expressed in a dispirited slouch, the German worker sets his heels down firmly and confidently.

His chin is up, and he seems to know where he is going. This year tie has begun to shout for higher wages, but he still works at least 18 hours per week; and the pro iucts of his busy factories are play iig Old Harry with British trade m most of the countries I visited. : Of all the Western nations, the

Moscow dictators fear Germany most. They hold France militarily in contempt, and they are satisfied with the way in which they undermining and weakening the British Commonwealth, and thus isolating America. That is why they never will agree to any Geneva settlement which involves the re unification of Germany.

A strong Germany, plus United States, plus a British Common wealth with some kick still in it, could spell ruin to Moscow’s plan for world domination. Whenever Teuton and Slav have met, on any thing like equal terms, the Slav has been well whipped—and well do the Soviets know it! At all costs, they will keep Germany disunited, until they can get her securely tied into the Red family.

In London in July, when flaring newspaper headings everywhere were insisting that “the Summit Conference in Geneva Decides to

End Cold War,” I wrote to the PIM and said that the Cold War would go on, because Russia never would agree to the restoration of Germany.

How right I was! But I was not crystal-gazing—l had just had a look at Germany, and talked to many Germans. The Communists, crawling and creeping out of sight, slowly destroying the politico-social roots of Western Europe, are mak ing little progress among the Ger mans.

South Africa: A Horrible

Racial Mess

UNTIL I saw it myself, I never would have believed that ordinary sane European people could have created the racial mess that now is slowly mounting towards explosion point in the Union of South Africa.

There are 12 million people in this country—about 21 million Euro

peans, 1 million Cape Coloured (mostly a mixture of European and African), half a million Asiatics (mostly Indians); and the balance of between 8 and 9 millions are African negroes.

The Europeans are nearly equally divided between British and Dutch the latter (usually called Afrikaans) the descendants of Dutch settlers who went to the Cape, Transvaal, etc., long ago.

The Dutch elements now are in control of the Government, and seem to have been smitten with madness. They are driving ahead with plans to (a) amend the Con stitution and reform the Parlia mentary system so that they can remain indefinitely in power; (b) break the last few remaining con nections with Britain, keep the British elements under control, and establish a republic; (c) give the Cape Coloureds a minimum of electoral voice, and keep the Asians and the Negroes altogether out of politics and administrative authority; (d) compel the Coloureds, the Negroes and the Asians to live in their own designated areas, as separate and distinct commun ities, under conditions that will leave the government of South Africa permanently in European hands.

Each community is in a state of anger and resentment; and each, under these conditions, represents a growing danger to peace and orderliness. But the bitterest feel ing is between the two communities

which should be completely united namely, the British and th Afrikaans.

Step by step, the Afrikaans, ti their determination to hoi supremacy in South Africa, an

Undermining what the British re gard as the Dominion’s vital free doms, and soon or later there will be a clash between British and Dutch, which may destroy the Union. [That is the immediate danger.

The inevitable and far greater danger can be seen (a) in the way in which the Negroes are changing from their old-time ways of life to European standards; and (b) as they thus become detribalised, their determination to have a larger voice in the administration of then country. The negroes, in the last 25 years, have moved in millions from their former settlements, where they were entirely governed by their chiefs, to the big towns, to work in the mines and factories. As a result, one may see to-day, in and around the big towns, slums more hideous than anything in Naples or Jakarta or Singapore—and I thought they were the worst on record. The class of people now being bred in these racial jesspools surely will destroy South (Ifrica, as we know it now. i The Afrikaans’ Government, with i Jim Crow policy of segregation, s trying to root out this most langerous social cancer; but its plans are of doubtful value, and jrobably too late, anyhow.

Complete unity among the Euro peans, great wisdom informed by a pirit of tolerance and understand ng of racial problems, might avert he danger in South Africa. But he first of these is missing. While he two European races fight each »ther for political advantage, South ifrica is rushing along to a certain acial explosion, and probably to lestruction.