Uneasiness Over Australian Foreign Policy

Chronicle (Levin), 5 January 1949, Page 5

Uneasiness Over Australian Foreign Policy

SYDNEY, Jan. 4. The invitation to Australia by the Prime klinister of India, Pandit Nehru, to attend the conference at New Deihi to consider the Tndonesian problem, has brought to a head much uneasiness felt in Australia as to the external policy of the Commonwealth. Before replying Mr. Chifley who, as Aeting Minister of External affairs is considering the matter, will eonsult with tlie New Zealainl Government and will porbably sound out Britain and America on their atti; Ludes. It is belieyed that a seetion of Cab inet and of the Labour Party favour Australian partieipation in the conference because of its effeet on relations with Asian countries. Others, however, believe that no good can result from support of the conference which appears to be in competition with United Nations Organisation. ' "Before wre rush in we ought to get elear in our minds just what we wish to aehieve in Indonesia, " says the >Sydney Telegraph. The peoples invited to sit round Nehru 's conference table, .have a single-minded view — they want this half of the planet for themselves, and that means they want Australia as well as Malaya, Hong Kong, Indo-China and the Netherlands Indies. The sainc arguments that they are using against the Dutch now, they will use with equal force and justice against a white Aus tral'ia. Running parnllel with this frankly subjective line is the view that *Aus tralia's external policy needs clarifieation. "It seems that wc stand behind the full principles of the United Nations Organisation only when 'it suits us, *" ' says the Sy'dney Morning Herald. "The Austrajian Government has gone out of its way to arraign the Netherlands be fore the Security Council of which Australia is not a member this year and our representative has vilified the Dutch and proposed their expuJsion froui United Nations if the cease fire order is not obeyed. If, however, Australia has any poliey regarding Israel 's breaeh of truee in Palestine and disregard of the Security Council 's ceaso fire order, nobody has said anything about it. " ■ Other publications ask, as many have asked over the past two years, why tho Government, which avowedly upholds the tenets of United 'Nations, cannot prevent Ausralian watersiders and, seamen from imposing a politieal ban on Dutch ships. Sueh action by the militants is believed by many to have had much more effeet on the situation in Tndonesia than any move by United Na tions Organisation. The Melbourne : Iferald eharges that Australian official policy 1 ' seems to have ignored some international considerations in a hasty desire to eondemn the Dutch." A large seetion of Australian opinion is wondering whether the Australian attitude before the Security Council was bas'ed upon premises insufficient for sound iudsrment.