NEW APPROACH TO EMPIRE RELATIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 20 January 1947, Page 2

NEW APPROACH TO EMPIRE RELATIONS

DEFENCE CONFEDERATION OF ALL FAltTiSEKa LONDON, Jan. 17. A joumalist Commoner, Air. G. Allighan, who states he hua ihe supyioi i j ot' au mttuoiiUal group or cominuners | oJt' all parti.es, liacs pL-eseiited lo Air. j Attlec, Alr. Levin and other politicai ! -leaders tliroughout the Duiunuous, a t statement eoulaiuiug "propoaaia tor a | new approach to Lmpne relatioua n> j vicw of Uuited Aaiions develop ; meuts". | Mr. Alliglian says tlie Uuited Nation.-.: instead of founding an international I organiaation resulted In groupiug tin. j natioua into two politkal ayatenis, ■ uamcly the Ameriean and Kussian. None of the nations between theae two l'ower groups was equipped to oppose or ultimalely escape either, and must become subordinatc or secoudary iu cconomics, manpowcr and dcfence. 1 Britain's elioice was a British- Ameriean j relationship or a British-Soviel one. | Mr. AlJighan argues that there is ano'ther course, namefy, a eonfedera | tion of British nations which total iu ellectivcncss, wealtli, strength and productivity as niueli as or morc than either the "dollar cmpirc" or the Soviet systein. Jle says that Britain, Canadu, Australia, New Zealand, Soutli Al'riea, Kiro and lndia would eacli liave to uffiJiale witli oue or other group liud tlius make a retrograde step towafds. subservienee. They eould fiud fulf^ freedom in an ora of power only froin strength tlirougli uiiiting individual stateliood and tlie expansion of national integritv. Britain as tlie oldest iu tlie family of nations should invite the otliers lo draft views on the erealion of a eoiii'ederatiou and allow uothing lo preveut tlie complote eoining together of all British-boru nations. All would be bouud by the tio of common inierests invohing mergcrs of eeonomie policy, del'iMice and foreign relations. The lirst of these would demand a spirit of eoniprornise, not meaning tlie surrendel' of a sovereign nation 's right to determine its own doincstic policy but a general cconomic plan for coacerted action as a third Power group on tlie international planc. A i'onfedeiation defcnce policy would not lio so difticult to create as an eeonomie policy because the old policy of imperial dcfence would have prepared ihe way. . It need not be aeliicved at the expense of the national dcfence polieies and systems wliicli would mercly acquire a ncw functioha) character. The national forces eould. if tlie oceasion arose. be swiftly integrated under the Coiifederation Suprerue Council and welded into a weapon which other Power groups would appreciate. Instead of waiting for war to coinpe! a slapdash imperial defcnec as in the past the Coiifederation defence foree would be in constant potential exi-' tence. The Coiifederation nations would have to accept zonal responsibil ity for defence, nianpower and arnm ments with arsenals and shipyards distributed instead of beirig coneentrated in highly vulnerable Britain. As regards foreign policy, Mr. Al lighan says the basic principle would be the creation of a self-eontained sclf-sufiicient world coinmunitv whieii implied distribution of responsibilitv I for international policy. There had j been uglv moments in Britain's recent history when the Dominions acquiesed in Westminister 's dictation of foreign policy only because of their inherent loyalty. There would be needed a Foreign Policy Council comprising the Ministers of Extcrnal Affairs of all the soven nations to devise a common policy. Newfoundland, the colonies and dependencies would also be in the coiifederation, and it would be -an obligation on all members to encourage and assist the smaller mations to achieve stateliood. Every member would have equal responsibilitv for colonia! policy.