Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1939. SOUTH PACIFIC DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 March 1939, Page 6

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1939. SOUTH PACIFIC DEFENCE.

A REPORT that a defence conference is to be held “between A New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain” has been confirmed by Mr Savage, with the added observation that, New Zealand has been pressing for some time for this conference to discuss defence matters. Whether or not the conference is also to discuss ‘‘air communications, trade and economics, as a cablegram from London reported yesterday, it is evidently very desirable that a clear understanding should be reached on questions of defence policy raised in the South Pacific. That, necessity is emphasised rather sharply by such a statement of British policy as was made in the House of Commons on Thursday by Major R. 11. Rayner. Expressing, presumably, the considered opinion of the British Government, Major Rayner said the Dominions might be expected to concentrate first on their own needs, “for all of them had their danger zones,” and added: — We cannot again depend on the Dominions to form a general reserve for a European front. We ought to consider holding an Imperial Conference to decide how the defensive policy of the Dominions can be fitted into a co-operative whole. We feel that the Dominions, having obtained sovereignty, should assume responsibility for it It is not fair to us or good business for them to claim freedom to decide whether to fight in a general war and simultaneously to rely on British arms for their defence. Whatever the authority they carry, these observations appear to sum up the existing position very fairly. In any case, the possibility certainly has to be considered that in some future war emergency the Dominions individually may have to take active and adequate measures for their defence in what Major Rayner called their own danger zones. This, of course, does not exclude the necessity for Imperial co-operation, but. it, implies the development of co-operation on new lines. Corresponding scope appears both for the -conference on South Pacific defence now in immediate prospect and for the Imperial Conference on defence suggested by Major Rayner. Of a number of questions involved that are of commanding importance to Australia and New Zealand, one relates to the establishment of a naval force capable of protecting trade routes in this part of the world and providing what safeguards are possible against raiding attack or invasion.- At the stage that has been reached, this question no doubt must be dealt with by Britain, Australia and New Zealand acting, in co-operation. Account has to be taken of the Singapore base and of the extent to which it is necessary, that it should be supplemented, by development in the Dominions. In dealing with the total problem raised, the Governments concerned must be guided largely by the advice of naval and military experts, but the general attitude of the people of the South Pacific Dominions no doubt will be one of readiness to make their fair contribution to the measures of defence preparation that are shown to be advisable and necessary. It may be taken for granted that there will be no question of Australia and New Zealand being asked to shoulder the whole burden of naval defence in the South Pacific. Apart from the fact that Britain has well-defined responsibilities in India and the Far East, she has important interests to guard in her trade with Australia and New Zealand. The position no doubt will be defined clearly in its. leading , details at the conference about to meet. Failing some early transformation of world conditions it must be expected, however, that the Dominions will be called upon to enlarge their present contribution to naval defence and also to amplify what they are already doing in the development of land and air forces within their own borders. A great, deal, of course, must depend upon the course of events in Europe in the immediate future and it may be hoped that the tremendous strides that are being made in British rearmament —indicated impressively in the statements made, within the last day or two, by the Ministers respectively concerned., on the British Army and Air Estimates —will tend to cheek the spirit of , aggression manifested by the dictatorships. It is meantime for the Dominions, and not least for Australia and New Zealand, to pay serious regard to the safeguarding of their own security.

EMPIRE BARGAINING.

r piIERE is something “high, wide and handsome” about, a suggestion made by the Dominion secretary of the Farmers’ Union?Mr A. P. O’Shea), at a gathering of farmers in Hawke’s Bay. The suggestion was that, the collective bargaining power of the whole Empire should be used to force open outside markets. A scheme of bargaining with foreign countries in which the partner States of the Empire might co-operate unitedly is not without its features of attraction. That the scheme is as soundly conceived as Mr O’Shea believes it to be, or is practicable, is not, however, immediately obvious.

In the extent to which needless restrictions on world trade are eased, general benefits no doubt will follow, but Mr O’Shea’s conception of the British Minister of Agriculture as sales manager for Empire products is picturesque rather than convincing. There is little enough prospect of opening up an extended market in Europe for British Empire primary products. Of the larger European States, Russia and France offer no promising field for enterprise on these lines. Neither does Germany, though her people are suffering under a food shortage imposed deliberately by her Nazi regime in the interests of military expansion. So far as the Dominions are concerned, any trade bargaining with Germany and other European countries could be successful only if considerable quantities of foreign manufactures were accepted as imports. For various reasons, there are as poor prospects of opening up additional markets for Dominion produce in the United States and in the Far East, as in Europe.

It would probably be difficult for Mr O’Shea to indicate any promising starting point for his proposed policy of Empire bargaining to open up foreign markets. On the other hand, an organised"policy of Empire development —a policy in which reasonable provision might be made for the admission to the Dominions not only of additional British settlers but of approved foreign immigrants—might be made to open the way to an almost indefinite expansion of Empire markets.' The position of the Australian primary producer is already, on the whole, stronger than that of his New Zealand contemporary and one of the principal apparent reasons is that a considerable expansion of manufacturing industries in the Commonwealth has built up an important internal market. The Australian producer is to that extent better placed than his opposite number in New Zealand to demand and secure fair relative treatment in a balanced national economy.

With Britain building up her own agricultural industry and showing herself more and more inclined to protect it, the need of well-rounded economic development in the Dominions becomes steadily more obvious. New Zealand’s most serious weakness today is that its economic development is ’in an extreme degree one-sided and incomplete. This means, however. that there is splendid scope in the Dominion for a more varied development of industry which will provide progressively ever-increasing internal markets for the great primary industries which have been and still are bur economic mainstay.