WORLD SITUATION SHOWS STEADY DETERIORATION

Chronicle (Levin), 24 March 1949, Page 5

WORLD SITUATION SHOWS STEADY DETERIORATION

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter,

Conservative Attack On Labour's

Copyright)

MF*" Keceived Thursday, 11 a.m. . J LOND'ON, March 23. During the lifetime of the present Parliament there had been a steady and progressive det'erioration in the mternational situation, very similar to the years preceding the war and following Hitler's assumption of power, said Mr. Harcrld Macmillan (Conservative), initiating the Commons debate on Germany and Eastern Europe.

"While the British Empire has been in liqmdation, the Tsarist Empire has been almost compietely reconstitutefi, We could pot believe that the genuine friendShip we honestly held out to our Russian allies could be vso scorzifuTy rejeeted. Never in history was such a fund of goodwill so rapid'y accumulated or so recklessly squandered. "What Russia will do will always be uncertaifi and unpredictafcle," declared Mr. Macmillan. "I think it is not impossible that a kind of| fake appeasement policy be launch^ ed, especially in relation to Ger-^ many, and I think this will take the iorm of an offering to conclude a treaty with Germany, involving the ending of joint occupation by all Powers. If this happens, we would lose almost overnight the whole result of the six-year war." Mr. Macmillan continued: "I fear that if the Greek war is not

ended this summer, Greek morale will collapse and if Greece cOllapses ' and goes behind the iroh curtain, firstiy, Tito will be liqfiidated and YugOsiavia, noW a running sore in Moscow's side, will be made healthy from the RUSsiari viewpoint and, secondly, the whole Eastern Mediterranean flftnk will be ttttned againat us. We Will than be back strategically to the autumn of 1940." The Minister of State, Mr. Hector McNeil, said: "The difference between 1938 and the present day is that we don't ask anyone else to carry burdens properly our own. Marshal Tito's position is of great importance to us, but we should not place embarrassments in the Yugos.av Goveinment's way. Tne Soviet, Polish and Albanian Governments have employed the most ruthless eoonomic methods against Marshal Tito."