House Debates China And South-East Asia Alliance

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27396, 8 July 1954, Page 12

House Debates China And South-East Asia Alliance

PARLIAMENT

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 7.

A threat by the United States to leave the United Nations if Communist China were admitted should not influence any country against supporting a move to introduce China, said Mr A. H. Nordmeyer (Opposition, Brooklyn) in the House of Representatives tonight. Speaking in the international affairs, discussion. Mr Nordmeyer said he' shared the view of the Minister of External Affairs (Mr T. C. Webb) that; by admitting her there was a chance • to drive a wedge between China and] Russia. In advocating that China | should be recognised, Mr stated a case for the recognition of] Franco’s Spain. Other speakers included the Min-' ister of Education (Mr R. M. Algie), I who said the long-term policy for peace was the application of the rule! of law, and Mr T. P. Shand (Govern- j ment, Marlborough), who said it might i be necessary to curb some * ‘intellec-; tual freedoms” for the duration of thej war already in progress between the Communist dictatorship and the loose-ly-knit Christian democracies.

Mr Algie said he would agree with Mr Webb that the need for a Southeast Asian alliance was urgent. He hoped, however, that it would not be merely an alliance of the white races. Mr Webb: Hear, hear. It would be disastrous if it got around that it was to be confined to the Western countries. Mr Algie said that Pakistan, India, I Ceylon, Indonesia, and Burma, “if we can get her,” should be carried along.' “Idea of Alliance Right” Mr H. G. R. Mason (Opposition, Waitakere) said he thought the idea of al South-east Asian alliance was right, I but it was essential that peoples in the area take part in it. He hoped the Americans would come to see that the recognition of China was ineviMr Mason said he was not one to claim that good would have come from an earlier recognition of Communist China. China’s attitude in the past had not been encouraging. Now’, however, there was Mr Webb’s report that China was showing a more conciliatory attitude, and that put the whole matter on a different basis. Mr Nordmeyer said that recognition I ©f Communist China did not imply re-i cognition of the actions of that Gov- ' eminent. Had Communist China been • recognised in that way earlier, there' might have been a great change in the ■ history of recent years. Similarly, re- | cognition should be extended to the | Franco Government of Spain. He thought there was a lot in recog-: nising Communist China and admit- i ting her to the United Nations on the : ground that that would drive a wedge i between the Government of Commun-. ist China and Russia. Jugoslavia had j seen fit to break from Russia, and be- I cause China was Communist it did not I follow that China and Russia for mili- • tary purposes could be regarded as one. Fuller Statement Urged Mr Nordmeyer said he was sorry Mr Weblr did not define what he had in I mind concerning a South-east Asial alliance. Did the Minister mean there • should be intervention in Indo-China? I If a South-east Asia alliance was to be established, it could be effective I only if other Eastern countries were drawn into its orbit. If those nations were hostile to an alliance then a most i unfortunate situation would arise. It was vital and urgent for New Zealand that she should K ave the goodwill of India, Pakistan, Ceylon, and other nations not in the British Commonwealth. but who were not unfriendly. A South-east Asia alliance might not

be easy to establish and might have far more repercussions than Mr Webb indicated in his speech. If there was to be an alliance, then the reasons for its establishment .should be more clearly given to the House and to the country. ’

If as much were spent on improving the living standards of the people as was spent on armaments, rich dividends would be returned. Mr Nordmeyer said. New Zealand and other, nations were already doing something in that direction through the Colombo Plan, but the next few years would be critical for the development of political thought in South-east Asia. “If we can produce in those countries a higher/ standard of living we will be doing more good than forming pacts and alliances,” he said.

Mr Shand said the world was already engaged in war, and it must be a war to the finish. There could be no hope of communism and democracy living side by side. Mr J. Mathison (Opposition, Avon): No peaceful coexistence? Mr Shand said that only by maintaining defensive strength could the present moral and ideological war be contained and a military struggle prevented. “I believe that if we can maintain real strength for the next 15 years or so we will see the collapse of the Communist empire,” he said. In that time the West could show in clear contrast the difference between life in the Communist state and in the democracies. Surrender of Freedoms

To face the menace of communism some ideas on individual freedom might have to be revised, he said. During the last war some freedoms had to be given up. The country might have to be prepared to do that again.

“We have always realised the need to place some limit on our physical freedoms,” he said, “and I think we shall have to apply a similar test to our intellectual freedoms.” He felt that a great deal of liberty would have to be surrendered.

Mr M. Moohan (Opposition, Petone) said that, with all America’s faults and failures, it had given away goods in recent years worth more 250,000,000 dollars to needy countries. He felt sure that the people of New Zealand I would support an extension of the Colombo Plan. . The Minister of Defence (Mr T. L? Macdonald) said that a point of significance to Pacific countries was that i Communist China had gained in strength and confidence after recent operations in Korea and elsewhere. If some kind of uneasy settlement were 1 reached in Indb-China, how long would it be before unrest developed i in Burma and Siam? he asked. “Very Real Threat”

I There was a very real threat from South-east Asia, and small countries I of that area were not in a position to i resist Communist aggression. The | three things needed today, said Mr I Macdonald, were British-American understanding, the maintenance of Japj anese prosperity, and the developiment of an acceptable collective arj rangement to include the Asian as i well as Western countries. Mr W. T. Anderton (Opposition. Auckland Central) said that the MinisI ter of Defence had given the House the thinking of the military mind. The | military mind, he thought, had had far too much influence in international affairs for some time, and he much preferred the outlook of Mr Webb. Mr Anderton said that had Communist China been a member of the United Nations some years ago it was probable that the Korean war would never have occurred.