Worse Dangers Face World Than War Prospect

Chronicle (Levin), 14 July 1948, Page 3

Worse Dangers Face World Than War Prospect

Prcss Association )

( Per

WELLINGTON, July 13. Worse dangers faced the world 's peace than the prospect of war between the United States and the Soviet, declared Mr. Ormond Wilson in a speech on Poreign Affairs tonight. They were, almost unbelievably, the rearming of Germany which all Europe feared, and the possible , emergence of Japan as a powerfnl war machine. Mr. Wilson, in a speech which was frequently interjected, was critical of some American propaganda and said he doubted that if, within a decade, war should come between the East and West, Britain coiild .rely on immediate aid from the United States any more than she had been able to in the past two wars. The United States, undcr lier forrn -of democracy, was slow to uiove and tbero would jtrobably be a. big section of opinion in tlie United States which would say when a eonflict first began, that it was Europe 's business and no concern of the United States. If war should come, which he did not beiieve for a.minutc, ovor the present Beriin disputo, thcn United States' assistance would be immediatcly forthcomiiig but if it should come a few years Jater, he believed that the United States, for . the sanie reasons as in the past, inight iiot immcdiately be at Britain 's side. .Mr. Wilson said that the reason why so inany European countries had gone under the protoction of Ttussia, had been not that they liked Kussian dictatorship, but that, remcmbering the past, they feared a revival of Germany. Mr. Wilson 's speech is regarded as important politically because of criticisms he made of United States propaganda and some observers took it as an open exprespion of lack of sympathy between Labour's Left Wing younger section and the coiuatry's official foreign policy. Mr. Wilson 's arguments, summarised, were that greater dangers faced the world than the oue of whicjh most people spoke — the possibilitv of a clash between thc East and West which tnUny took to mean betwteu thc United States and the Soviet. Oue was the danger of a revival or the military power of Germany. After the reccut war such a prospect has seemed unirkeJv and almost impossiblc lor years and perhaps generations. But the trouble was now that both sides in the present dispute in Germany were bolstering up Germany. Now it appeared that the dream of Goebbcis and the prophecy of Hitler, that the West might arm Germany i'or a eonflict mtli Bolshevist Bussia, might be achieved. Menace Of Japan. An other danger, especially atrectJiig Australia and New Zealand, \®ts the revival of the power of Japan. Thc t. nited States was now robuilding Japari, and its revivcd economy might make it an eveu morc effeetive war machine. The United States had taught Japan more efficient metliods the,, United , States , was not. Jikcly to stav there for more than lijve or ton yeafs. . What was worse Japan had been rebuilt on old lines. "Democracy ) there is only a facade," said Mr. Wilson. The elaim that the only eonflict in tlie world now was between Cowimunism and eapitalist democracy, was to oyer-simplify thc world 's present problems. ' t If we take the dangerous lint?S of some United States' propaganda, thcn we are supporting these elcmcnts," said Mr. Wilson. He elaimed that it was not neeessary to express thanks to the United States

for what it was (Joing because it was done in that country's own interests. ' ' We should not be subsexvient to thc United States," he said. The United States people were not doing anything for the world that they wero not doing for theinscives. "I question whetlier the British Commonwealth should be involved in a war in defence of United States democracy," said Mr. Wiisou. Mr. Wilson towards the closc of liis address, emphasised that he himself had 'been to the Soviet, but could think of no other eountry in the world in which he would eare less to live. It was a dictatorship and he did not like dictatorishps. It had to be rcmembered that Itussia, in changing from the dictatorship of the Czars could not have gone in an other way than the way she, did.