UNITY OF WORLD

Southland Times, Issue 24886, 28 October 1942, Page 5

UNITY OF WORLD

Mr Willkie Condemns Imperialism (Rec. 10.25 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 26. In a broadcast Mr Wendell Willkie said his globe-girdling tour of 31,000 miles vividly illustrated that there were no longer distant points in the world. “The myriad millions of the Far East are as close to us as Los Angeles to New York by the fastest trains,” said Mr Willkie. “Therefore, thinking and planning for the future must be global. There exists in the world a gigantic reservoir of goodwill towards the American people created by Americans who have founded hospitals, schools and colleges in the far corners of the world and pioneered new roads, airways and shipping lines. In addition, motion pictures have enabled the peoples to see what Americans look like and to heal’ their voices. Furthermore, peoples everywhere admire the aspirations and accomplishments of American labour, business and industry. They know that it does not necessarily lead to political control or imperialism. “I found a dread of imperialism everywhere, but the world is aware that we do not seek to impose our rule on others or to exact special privileges.

They know we are not fighting for profit, loot or territory or mandatory power over the lives and governments of other people, but this reservoir of goodwill is leaking at a thousand cracks. The holes were not punched by Hitler, but by us. For example, our flow of war materials to some nations I visited was tragically small, compelling me to cease talking of American production. You would not believe how few bombers China has received. You would agree that we have little reason to "boast if you knew how far Russia feels we are not fulfilling our commitments.. If we continue to fail to deliver promised materials to the Allies the reservoir of goodwill will turn into resentment.

RUSSIAN AND CHINESE LOSSES “Five million Russians and five million Chinese have given their lives in this struggle. We owe them more than boats or broken promises. The Russians and Chinese are not satisfied with the Atlantic Charter and ask about a Pacific Charter and a World Charter. Is freedom supposed to be priceless for the white man, but of no account in the East? “Discussing India, the wisest man in China said that when India’s aspirations for freedom were put aside to some future, unspecified unguaranteed date, it was not Britain, but the United States, that suffered in the public esteem in the Far East. The wise man was not quarrelling with British imperialism in India, although he did not believe in it, but he was telling me that the United States, by its silence, had already drawn heavily on the reservoir of goodwill in the East, which is unable to ascertain from the Government’s wishy-washy attitude towards India what we are likely to feel after the war about the other hundreds of millions of Eastern peoples. “Throughout the whole Far East freedom means the orderly, but scheduled, abolition of the colonial system, Mr Willkie said. “We have not referred to any commonwealth of free nations, but to the colonial system under any nation. Americans too apt to speak of the British Empire must recognize that in vast areas of the world there is no longer a British Empire, but a proud commonwealth of free nations. British colonial possessions are only the remnants of the Empire and millions of men and women throughout the Commonwealth are working selflessly and with great skill towards reducing the remnants and extending the Commonwealth in place of the colonial system. Americans must share with Britain the responsibility of making the whole world a commonwealth of free nations.” CRITICISM OF EXPERTS He deplored the atrophy of intelligence produced by stupid, arbitrary or undemocratic censorship. The war’s record to date was not such as to inspire any sublime faith in the infallibility of our military and naval experts. He criticized the idea that non-military experts and unofficial persons should refrain from making military, economic or political suggestions on the conduct of the war.

“Let us have no more of this nonsense,” he said. “Our military experts, as well as our leaders, must be constantly expose! to democracy’s greatest driving-power, the whiplash of public opinion.” Mr Willkie reiterated that a second fighting front must be established in Europe and expressed the hope that a considerable force from India would attack Burma so as to relieve the pressure on China and Russia. “India is our problem, just as the Philippines are Britain’s problem,” he said. “America’s half-ignorant, halfpatronizing attitude towards many people in Eastern Europe and Asia must be abandoned. An American representative of Cabinet rank should visit Russia.” Mr Willkie taid he believed we would win the war, but we must also win the peace. Three things were necessary for that: —

(1) We must plan for peace on a global basis. (2) The world must be free economically and politically. (3) America must play an active and constructive part in freeing the world and- keeping the peace. Hundreds "Tn millions in Eastern Europe and Asia no longer would be willing to be Eastern slaves for western profits. “Our western world and our presumed supremacy are now on trial,” said Mr Willkie. “Russia, China and the Middle East are conscious of their potential strength and want the United States to join them in creating a new society free of the economic injustice of the West and the political malpractices of the East. They expect us to use our enormous power to promote liberty and justice now, not after the war.”