SITUATION IN PACIFIC

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24911, 26 June 1946, Page 7

SITUATION IN PACIFIC

FEAR OF AGGRESSION REMOVED MR NASH’S OPINION LONDON, June 24. • As a result of the defeat of Japan and America's enormous air and naval power, fear of aggression in the Pacific area has been removed for half a century, and, it is hoped, for ever,” said the Deputy-Prime Minister of New Zealand (Mr Nash) in a broadcast. Mr Nash said it might be thought that New Zealanders, in their secure little corner of the Pacific, would not worry about the problems of making peace in Europe, but the ordinary man in New Zealand, as in England, was not happy about the peace. There was a danger in the new open diplomacy. It was a great step forward to know what the diplomats were talking about but it was necessary to be careful and responsible, because it might become a step backward. “Germany was the enemy who tried to destroy us. It was Nazism, not Communism, which planned the war,” said Mr Nash. "I never forget who were our allies and who were our enemies at the time of the crisis," It was necessary to remember that there was a long history behind Russia’s suspicion ot the Western Powers. The world was not friendly to the Russians for 20 years, and most of the world's newspapers fed anti-Russian prejudices. Russia had her part to play and it was her duty to the Allies to let them state their case to the Russian people. “I cannot believe that there is a conflict between Russia and the Western Powers which cannot be resolved." said Mr Hash.

FOOD SHIPMENTS TO INDIA LONDON, June 24. Major A. Henderson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the India Office, in the House of Commons, said that though the food situation continued precarious the Government of India, on the basis of supplies being shipped in June and July from Britain, Australia, North and South America, anticipated that distribution could be maintained to August, assuming that there were no untoward developments.