KEEN INTEREST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 January 1943, Page 3

KEEN INTEREST

IN HISTORIC CASABLANCA CONFERENCE British and American Comment ABSENCE OF STALIN AND CHIANG KAI-SHEK REGRETTED MR ROOSEVELT ON POLICY IN PACIFIC LONDON, January 27. The historic conference at Casablanca is almost the sole topic of discussion among the public of Britain. The newspapers comment on what is known of the military decisions and what is not known. The news has been hailed with pleasure on both sides of the Atlantic. All the London papers make some reference to the absence of M. Stalin and General Chiang Kai-shek, and the “NewsChronicle” comments that the four main allies should be fully and equally represented in the war and peace discussions, and all four should make the utmost effort to see that that is achieved. A message from New York says that officials in. America declare that the Casablanca meeting has produced at least two tangible results. First, a decision to launch great Allied offensives in 1943. Secondly, military if not political unity among the various French factions. Military decisions of such magnitude have dwarfed any political considerations, and this is /evidenced not only by the joint statement, but also by the fact —that the foremost- military advisers were present, while the diplomatic'and political trouble-makers were absent. Observers, says the message, express the opinion that this indicates that Messrs Roosevelt and Churchill concentrated on unconditional surrender of the Axis, and liberation of the conquered countries rather than determining' the future of France and other subjugated lands. The members of the conference therefore approached the French problem purely from a military viewpoint, and conceivably they warned the factional leaders that France cannot be resurrected by political bickering. Quarrelling over the future leadership is futile if there is no France to lead. It appeared that the Frenchmen agreed to pigeonhole their political differences and aspirations, and to prosecute the main task of freeing France. . , Mr Roosevelt at Casablanca said that the Allies’ main object in the Pacific was to stop Japan for ever from dominating’ the Pacific, the message adds.