NOT SATISFIED

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 23, 27 July 1945, Page 5

NOT SATISFIED

MR. ALGIE'S CRITICISM

MORE INFORMATION SOUGHT

A declaration that he would vote against the ratification of the World Charter if' the Prime Minister did not think it worth while to tell him what New Zealand's obligations were and how they were to be faced, was made by Mr. R. 3VI. Algie (National, Remuera).

Mr. Algie said he believed that throughout the length and breadth of New Zealand there was ; a feeling ol disappointment in the document, as it did not realise their hopes and their dreams. It was fine that men should dream and have ideals, but it was necessary that ideals should rest on a basis of reality. The Prime Minister's speech was a poor example of salesmanship. Mr. Fraser had come back to the House to sell to members and New Zealand the World Charter and had moved that it be ratified. Was not that salesmanship? "What do we know of the details and obligations which we shoulder when we ratify the document?" asked Mr. Algie. "Virtually nothing." ' The Prime Minister had said that New Zealand, by ratifying the document, undertook certain obligations, some military and some financial, and that the Dominion's military obligations would be determined in a subsequent agreement, but the House would not know until they were asked to sign on the dotted line. . "Unless the Prime Minister thinks it is worth his while to tell me, as a member of the House, what obligations we have under this document and how those obligations, are to be faced I, with a full appreciation of my responsibilities in this matter, will vote against the ratification of this document," added Mr. Algie. "When you are going to commit the people to obligations that may plunge them into active service in another war then I say you have no hope of doing it unless you take the people into your confidence. If you do not do that to use the word democracy is a sham and a piece of blasphemy."

A NON-PARTY COMMITTEE. He wished they had a Foreign Affairs Committee in the House as in the United States, because there were some questions he would like to ask the members of the Delegation. He suggested the Prime Minister might consider setting up such a committee. His reason for making the suggestion was that New Zealand was becoming increasingly involved in international affairs. Hf the people were to have an international outlook they must be given plenty of information. As an alternative he suggested that at the conclusion of the debate a non-party committee should be appointed of eight or 10 members who could ask questions of the Delegation. Members of the committee would be able to get from members of the Delegation answers that could not easily be given in the House. Such a committee could then report to the House. The Prime Minister: There is no question that can be put that cannot be answered in this House. Mr. Algie: If that is the case, the Prime Minister rejects my suggestion. Dealing with the Charter generally, Mr. Algie declared: "To call it a Charter and speak of equality of nations and talk of justice and law is a conglomeration of high-sounding phrases intended to conceal a pill of microscopic insignificance." Continuing, Mr. Algie said that previous speakers had said that what was required was international good will, but good will was not enough. There were members of the House who exuded it and oozed it, but what was the good of it? International good will : must be translated into the reality of ctlon and fact. What made for the acceFs of the document was, a? the ;,Prime Minister had stated, first, in-

ternational co-operation, and, secondly, the .. protection of the small nations. •

Mr. Algie said he often wondered what it felt like to be a great statesman.

Mr. T. H. • McCombs (Government, Lyttelton): You will never know.

THE HORIE FRONT,

Mr. Algie replied that he might never know, but he was asking the Prime Minister to tell the House what it felt like to stand a little to the left and a little back from the centre of the international stage and.talk about co-operation and p.ractise something quite different on the home front.

Was it not a fact that in this country the present Government tound its way on to the Treasury benches in 1935 partly, at least, by having preached for SO years the doctrine of class conflict? He also wanted to know what ii teit like for an international statesman to stand up and talk about the rule of law by a Government that had been noted for the opposite practice. How did it feel to champion the cause of small nations and in one's own country be completely indifferent to the claims of an organised minority?

Referring again to the Charter, Mr. Algie said he thought the people were looking for something in the nature of collective security. The Prime Minister had tried to get it for thorn, but had not been successful. The document gave just a ray of hope and depended for its fruition upon the ability of the States that had signed it to get together and live together. Replying to a question from the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. Parry), Mr. Algie said he did not attach too much hope to international organisation. He believed we were still living in a world of force and that the San Francisco Charter would have to be supported by a number of forms of offensive and defensive alliances even yet. The best thing they had to work on was that people had come to loathe war, and that even those who waged it now hated it.

INTERNATIONAL COURT.

On the question 01 referring matters to an International Court, Mr. Algie said he would like to ask, as a test, whether New Zealand would be prepared to refer to such a Court the question of drawing closer by Imperial Federation with the : Homeland if it meant giving up some of our Mew Zealand sovereignty. As he was at present advised, New Zealand would not be prepared to do that. He also suggested that' New Zealand would not be prepared to submit the question of a withdrawal of the colour bar against Asiatic immigration. Similarly, would Russia submit to the International Court the vexed question of whether the Baltic States should have their independence or be part of the Russian Soviet Republics? The Charter only brought a ray ot hope, and he wanted to see tsiat ray broaden out to a beam, if possible: