ATLANTIC CHARTER IN BASIC ENGLISH

New Zealand Listener, Volume 10, Issue 240, 28 January 1944, Page 21

ATLANTIC CHARTER IN BASIC ENGLISH

, HIS rendering of the Atlantic Charter in Basic English appeared recently in The Times, London. "The President of the United States and the Prime Minister, Mr. Churchill, acting for His Majesty’s Government in the United ‘Kingdom, being now together, are of the opinion that it is right to make public certain common ideas in the political outlook of their two countries, on which are based their hopes for a better future for all nations. "First, their countries will do nothing to make themselves stronger by taking more land or increasing their power in any other way. "Second, they have no desire for any land to be handed over from one nation to another without the freelyvoiced agreement of the men and women whose interests are in question. "Third, they take the view that all nations have the right to say what form of government they will have; and it is their desire to see their. self-government and rights as independent nations given back to those from whom they have been taken away by force. "Fourth, they will do their best while respecting their present undertakings, to make it possible for all nations, great and small, whichever side they were on in the war, to take part in the trade,

equally with others, and have the materials which are needed for the full development of their industries. "Fifth, it is their desire to get all nations working together in complete harmony in the field of trade and industry, so that all may be given better working conditions, have greater material well-being and be certain of the necessaries of existence. "Sixth, after the complete destruction of the Nazi rule of force, it is their hope to see a peace made which will keep all nations safe from attack from outside, and which will make certain that all the men in the lands will be free from fear and need through all their days. "Seventh, such a peace will have to make it possible for all men to go freely everywhere across the sea. "Eighth, it is their belief that all the nations of the earth, for material reasons no less than because it is right and good, Will, in the end, give up the use of force. Because war will come again if countries which are, or may be, ready to make attacks on others go on using land, sea, or air power, it is their belief that it is necessary to take away all arms from them till a wider system of keeping the general peace, more solid in structure, comes into being. will, further, give their help and support to all other possible steps which may make the crushing weight of arms less for peace-loving nations."