From The Archives

May 1945

Victopy in Europe - and now what?

THE German capitulation of May 7, 1945, bore out two forecasts made often in the 5 and a half years of the European war - namely that Germany would be broken by air-power, and that “the Jerries will col lapse quickly as soon as Germany is invad ed”. The last five years will be described, in centuries to come, as the most dramatic

in human history.

Mankind came so very close to enslave ment; we were saved from another Dark Age which might have extend

ed over hundreds of years - by a series of what seem like miracles; and then, when the United Nations at last were able to gather their strength, we witnessed a series of military victories and mass surrenders without parallel in the records of war.

Five years ago, all the nations literally cowered before a terrifying triumvirate - Germany, Italy and Japan. The “Axis” was opposed only by an isolated and unpre-

Pacific Islands Monthly

pared Britain and a faltering France.

Today, two of those three Powers are utterly destroyed; the third is on the way out; and the world is dominated by the might and

genius of Great Britain, United States and Russia.

"Trusteeship" - Australia gets off on the wrong foot at UNCIO THERE has been much very confusing talk at UNCIO (United Nations Conference on International Organisation) about a “trusteeship” system which may follow the liquidation of the Mandates system (under which certain nations, under League of Nations supervision, administer some ten Territories).

The territories originally were: A Class Mandates - Mesopotamia, Palestine, Syria.

B Class - Togoland, Cameroons, German East Africa. C Class - New Guinea and Bismarck Archipelago (Australia); Western Samoa (New Zealand); Caroline, Marshall and Mariana Islands (Japan); and Nauru (Britain, Australia and NZ).

Here in the Pacific, we are interested

only in the C Class Mandates. There is lit tle doubt that, in the final wash-up, those C Class Territories will remain with their pre sent “protectors,” except that the Japanese held islands will pass into the charge of the United States.

However, Australian delegate Dr Evatt has caused disturbance by demanding a system of trusteeship, not only for territo ries left unprotected by the post-war re adjustments, but also for all colonies gen erally, wherein sovereign nations rule over subject peoples. His argument is that such colonies and territories are being held in trust for their native peoples; and that the nations which hold them should be obliged to report regularly, to some international authority, concerning the discharge of their

obligations to the ? natives. The Australian apparently has ft been encouraged 5 in this revolu -9 tionary plan by I Russia; but I America is not '/ well disposed "towards it and nat

urally Britain and France, who hold scores of colonies of all kinds, would not agree to any such perfectionist idea. ■