BRITAIN WON'T SIT IDLE

Chronicle (Levin), 21 May 1948, Page 5

BRITAIN WON'T SIT IDLE

(N.Z.P.A,

—Reuterj

If Eastern PoKcies Are To Be Forced On Enrope

Copyright)

Received Friday, 10.15 a.m. LONDON, May 20. He had no intention of pursuing a policy of trying- to change by force those things done in Eastern European states with which he disagreed, the Foreign Minister, Mr. Ernest Bevin, said in replying to the foreign affairs debate at the Labour Party's annuai conference] at Scarborough. Britain, however, was not pre- j pared to sit idie and see the pro-| cesses adopted in Eastern states i carried on over a-, weakened, distracted and disunit'ed Europe. The rest of Europe contained states' which thought as Britain did and; there could surely be no objection! i to coalescing them and harmonis- i ing their economic and defence! policies. Mr. Bevin said that if Britain,! jfor fear of what M. Molotov said toi [her, had declined Marshall aid, she! would have been guilty of oue of the greatest crimes against her own people. "There is no basis for disarmaIment and confidence untii you can jget the nations of the world to : commif themseltes to collective ' security as the fundamental principle on which other things can be . bullt. We must proceea to develop i regional pacts on collective security where we can, and not wait for ; everyone's final agreement." Mr. Bevin said that he lioped i soon to hold a conference of the i Commomveahh Prime Ministers so their views might be given on the ; Western Union ancf misunderstand- , ings avoided. ; Referring to the Japanese peace | conference, Mr. Bevin said the Government could not be a party ■ to excluding New Zealand, Aus- . tralia, Burma, India and Pakistan jfrom it. The great powers shoulcl lagree-to hold the peace conference jwith Japan immediateiy on Ihe ! basis of 14 or 15 countries. It would be a test of sincerity if Russia, America and Britain agree to hold 'the Japanese peaee conference hnmediately and admit all the ; nations affeeted, instead of only the Big Four as Russia advocated.