CHURCHILL CAUSTIC

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5285, 23 December 1946, Page 5

CHURCHILL CAUSTIC

(Press Assn.-

"decline and fall of british empire"

-Rec. 9.30 p.m.).

LONDON, Dec. 21. "The evil process" which. was going on in lndia might needlessly be extended to Bnrma, said Mr. Churchill, in replying in the House of Commoiis to a state-' ment on Burma by the Prime Minister, Mr. Attlee. The British Empire seemed to be running off almost at fast as the American loan. It was hardly a year since, by superb exertion of the 14th Army, with enormous sacrifice of life and treasure had liberated the eountry, yet there vas extraordinary haste to get out of Burma forever. Mr. Attlee had said the Government did not regard the Wlaite Paper on Burma as unchangeable. The Burmes.e were showing some impatience at the apparently slow development'plans for self-government. The Cabinet believed the plan for Burma no-w merited reeonsideration." Mr. Churchill said- it was surely reasonable that law and order should be estahlished in Burma before the question of self-government was resumed. "Scuttle," says Mr. Churchill He eould not see why it was necessary to open in Burma the possibility of the "same disasters to which we are only 011 the threshold in India. This haste is appalling. Scuttle is ihe only word." Mr. Attlee replied that Mr. Churchill offcen found himself alone in ' theso matters. "I think he" has not | been right," he said. "It was mueh more dangerous to lag behind than I to keep up with movements of public j opinion in these countries. 1 "The Government has not been toofast in Burma, but too slow. We believe Burma will stay in the j Empire, but we do not compel them. | 1 see no reason why Burma should he treated worse than India in this j respect." ' Mr. Churchill said he did not propose a full-dress debate now 011 the cvacuation of Burma, hut he wished to inform the nation of the signifieance of the far-reaehing declaration Mr. Attlee had rattled off so (Uiickly. "We certainlv pledged o-ur-selves to give Burma self-govern-y.nent, hut all in due course and withthe due steps which are now all being eliminated." Interim Stage Eliminated

The unfortunate form of the Government's declaration 011 the •grant of independence "within or without the Empire or Commonwealth" eliminated the interim stage of Dominion status, which, as in Rn.dia, would have enabiled people wishing to retain the blessings -of British rule to decide whether to be ]iartners in the Commonwealth or* not. Mr. Attlee had shorn Burma away from the British Crown. Notice should he taken of that even in a period when "we are getting so accustomed to the process of the decline and fall of the British Empire." (Opposition cheers). It is stated in Rangoon that four members of the Governor of Burma's executive council, invited to Britain to discuss steps to-wards self-govern-ment, include the deputy-chairman, who is the leader of the anti-Fascist League, which recently put forward demands to Britain. The United States Government has welcomed Mr. Attlee's invitation to attend the Burmese tallcs to negotiate his question of self-government. The Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, Dr. Van Moolc, who is on Bali Island, is due to11 ight to inaugurate a new autonomous State of Eastern Indonesia, which will be part of the United States of Indonesia.