To-day And To-morrow

New Zealand Listener, Volume 11, Issue 269, 18 August 1944, Page 5

To-day And To-morrow

HE Prime Minister’s report on his mission to London raised more questions than any man can answer. To begin with it was a war mission, and no one can pretend to know the answer to the problem of warhow s6on, if ever, brigandage can be banished from the earth, and by what methods in the meantime the peace-loving nations of the. world can most hopefully combine for self-protection. If anyone knew the answer to those questions Mr. Fraser would be the last Prime Minister to present such a report, and the millennium would be here. In fact it is not in sight; but Mr. Fraser.was able to report some things that reasonable people will find deeply encouraging. The most encouraging of all, of course, is the fact that the war is being won, which some of us seem to forget or undef-estimate: we will be satisfied with nothing but a brave new world, ignoririg what kind of a world it would be for us if we lost. But it was encouraging also to have so clear an indication that it is world peace we are fighting for and not regions of security or of control. New Zealand is a small country, which could not. stand alone if it so wished; but our allies include nations with the resources and strength of continents, and it would be a depressing thought if alliance with them meant co-operation to the point of victory and no further. Mr. Fraser made it clear that in all his discussions and conferences his aim was to work New Zealand into a world pattern in which it would have responsibilities. as well as safeguards, and that this was the spirit he found everywhere. Reduced therefore to a couple of phrases his report was victory first and then the boldest possible attempt afterwards to maintain peace by mutual aid: giving as well as receiving. The first without the second would be folly; the second without the first dangerous humbug.