(MISSILE
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1957.
DISARMAMENT TALKS
"I THINK WE're making good progress AT THE TALKS, DON'T YOU ?**
Where shall we
for
BRITAIN'S
Copyright in all countries London Expres. Kerviés
move to next
BASE?
DRITAIN'S military planners are poring over their
for the location of the new base which will be the nerve and supply centre of Middle East and African defence.
Defence Minister Duncan Sandys, home from an on- the-spot survey, has decided that the base should be moved from Loubled Cyprus to somewhere south of the Sahara,
He has said that the choice lies between Aden and Kenya. But insiders report that there is little chance thai Aden will get the plum:
From what is known of the
seems fair to say that transport nirerall could make the relum trip from Nairobi to most points in the Middle East but that, al present, such trips would require maximum fuel minimum lends
Paul Friars
had been ruined through The blistering rocky port rust and rot. at the entrance to the Red
Sea is far too close to trou- All in all, Mackinnon ble. It is surrounded by Road cost the British tax. Kreas which are either ver more than 4 mil openly or potentially hostile, Bion pounds and there wide open
to attack from wasn't much more than the several directions, and might water pipe to show for be difficult to supply by air in the end. should the sen lants be even momentarily closed.
it
Now the project mity be revived. Since 1950,
loads
and
of men and equipment. This means uang aircraft! something.
at
have to be operational in the ex-
IN THE COMMONWEALTH
Dangers of Anarchy
ISASTERS mako
D's mouws; and they are so numerous
overlooking such evidenco as there is that men are making progress
in overcoming the anarchy that threatens to engulf 20th-century civilisation.
states.
New Members
Nigeria is also making pro-
This view pane gênerally to
The Vins segitze and there
ment; and Britain is fulfilling he be no official proposals her pledge to assist other viable in recent years to set up a mare; colonial territories along the path elaborate political structure. of Increasing responsiblilty. A System Of Consultation
by R. T. MCKENZIE
Reader in Sociology, London School of Economics and Political Science since 1956 and author of several publications
The Commonwealth today i above all else, a system of came sultation; the member unfin are in constant communication with each other about matters of common faterest, At the highest level, their Prime Minila « ters meet periodically for private, Informal and intimate discus sons which usually last a weeke or longer.
The story of the "emer- gent Commonwealth" Is perhaps the most hopeful and important evidence of such progress. The vid British Empire is manag- ing with remarkable suc- cess to transform itself into
Commonwealth of freely-" Federation of Rhodesia and position to apply for Camuon- associated self-governing Nyasaland is already repre- wealth membership.
At the forthcoming meeting the Prime Minister who attend sented at the Prime Minis With the grant of responsiblo the conference will have come ters'
to Canada In the trem ive conferences, though government
continenta, and it is not. as a member of the middle of the 18th century, not dificult to imagine that their Britain launched an experiment discussion of world anaira wilXA When the Prime Minis- Commonwealth. In 1980, in imperial devolution, in the be a uniquely valuable soured tory of the Commonwealth however, a special con- course of which she has never of information ant opinion for
each of them. met in London at the end ference will be held to "con- faltered.
Also of June, Ghana
at the national lovel The theory of the Emergent from time to time, conferences re sider a programme for the
of presented for the first time. achievement
Commonwealth" has rarely been take place of Finance Ministers explicitly termulated. But there of the Commonwealth countries, In August, it is expectext, status."
bas never всел the high and of the
doubt
other catégories Malaya will become
DC the Tegonsible ministers; in addition, there ar The islands of the Bellish loaders of all parties in Britain a great many meetings at the fourth Asian ration to
lu transform non-political achieve independence with- West Indies have already agreed were determined
to federate, and the Interim their Empire into a Common level of experts
and unemclax in the Commonwealth.
on a wide provisiona ol their federal wealth of freely associated variety of subjects of comman Other territories
constitution will come into effect nations. are
this autumn. It is expected in making steady progress in about dlx years time the West the same direction. The dies Federation will be in a
was
MOTORING'S MOST
STARTLING DECISION
SINCE THE
WAR!
auch
that
con-
the
concern.
But apart from auch The idea of an Imperial portia fermees which are convened for ment for the Commonwealth, a specific purpose, there is an once held by a few prominent almost endless flow of infornia- Statesmen, was dropped whon it tion and opinion through the proved unacceptable to the Commonwealth Relations Office emergent Dominions Otherwise in London and the External the only serious debate within Affairs Department of Britain about the evolution of member countries. the Commonwealth hos
And, of been tourne, the High Commissioners about the speed with walch it which ench Commonwealth was advisable to grant full inde country sends to the capitals of pendent territories.
the others also provide a major channel of communication. Perhaps the most striking fea- ture of the Commonwealth, to network of contacts between the In addition, there is a vost the outside observer, is its members, involving trade, ship- lack of forinal political ping, Bnance and cultural Inter- machinery. The Conunonwealth change. has no executive, no legislature, The flow of trade, of infor- und no centralised secretariat or mation, idens, and, of course, of elvil service.
peopic (through snigration) are What might be called the "in- the lifeblood of the Common- formality" of Commonwealth wealth. relations Jy not the result of an
The Cummonwealth relation- astute British attempt to make ship is sufficiently informal that membership more acceptable to no member country can feel that things
Or African nations. its sovereignty
whit motor Canada, as the senior Common- lessened by virtue of its member- wealth country after Britain ship; yet the mutual Interchange itself, has always insisted that between the members is so ex the erection of elaborate tensive, and so enriching to the newest machinery would, by appearing national life of the peoples con- illogical, as a throat to the sovereignty corned, that membership is now of members, make the Common- widely recognised as a positive hot stronger.
by Basil Cardew
madeta kond.
one
·
foolish
Asian some Detroit comes the most surprising motoring and VAROM
decision announced since the war. United States car from the American rkers have got together to form a conspiracy aimed manufacturera. tes than their solely at suppressing all mention of speed.
But this, their [maximum
eferency.
Unanimously the men who I suggest they reasons may idea—an arbitrary, 1 has also been pointed out run the most gigantie in be specious, And I say that out panic taboo-is one we must wealth weaker and more brittle, advantage to be sought after and that Nairobi'e airports woulddustry in
the world have car makers must not be foolish remts of tropeal climate, This, decided to rule out the most enough to follow their example, ignore.
Speed is a wonder word that however, seems to be mainly a effective and potent sales problèm of engineering and the line hitherto
And used in all helps to sell a motor car, provision of adequate drainage. their literature, posters, and goodncus knows Britain at this time is in a near-death struggle Much more serious is the fact big time sales talk,
with the Germans, the French, that the single line ·ratirond
the Italians, and the rest of the rack from Nairobi to the const
Continentals to keep our fac-1 could easily be pui out of action
tories going. elther by raboteurs Or the weather.
Speed-the top speed of every big lush American model---is now unmention- uble. Speed. that magic, Heavy gourds will always have exciting word, is to be
in by sea and treated as the skeleton in seeking to
So Kenya it seems to be. both the harbour and the to be brought
railroad have undergone trans-shipped from the east, the cupboard.
. But Kenya in the minds certain improvements
might
of the military experts re- some of the trouble calls the glorious plan which perienced then led to ufter fast-the avoided. Mackinnon Road Base, 70
miles inland from Mombasa,
and Mombasa harbour may be able
to take the traffic but the pros- ex- poet of bringing supplies around be Africa in the event of serious Middle East trouble is not very
attractive,
But many experts aro
in the heart of the Eust not convinced that a base African bush.
£ 8 m
Mackinnon Road
was
70 miles out in the bush ideal.
Astonishing
In a week our leading manufacturers urc speakin tens of thousands of pounds in
carry off the big awards in the Alpine Rally.
Their offcial teams, buckri with cars prepared at higit cost, will be racing over the Frenc IN Britain we must take and Swiss Alpe for 2,480 miles
careful note of this extra-ona six-day sint,
decision which Only speed, coupled with
Mackinnon Road has the ad- vantage of being only 70 miles ordinary
is from the coast and, so, of having frankly astonishes me. For stamin, will win the top places. less vulnerable railroad to add what the motor manufac. Only by speed can lessons be to its hazards. But that seems turers do in America is 90 achieved.
learned and this stamina be to be its strongest ulvantage
Andi for he winners over Nairobi,
often reflected and adopted there will be blg export orders Quite apart from the military in this country a few years for the British factories.
later. problems there are political and
One view is that the Kenya base should be sited near Nairobi,
phoned in 1947 when the Nairobi has airports and
social problems.
Europeans In Kenya Jin
willingnes Mackinnon signined their
British government decided is in fact, materially closer to pull out of Palestine. It to some potential trouble was to be the great supply spots depot for the Middle East. Road.
re-
than
Air
Floundering
Remember their mouth- organ fronts. Remember
NOW the Americans, althougo their finned rear wings. No
they run the fastest-ever with freak cars), would scarcely claim to excel in the top clus of high speed sports car (waleli is really "ordinary car') cacing.
sce the base there, but Africans Remember their back-a ruce at Indianapolls (but only -ar, rather, their political leaders do not seem sure.
Traditonally, governments are reluctant to grant Independence
former
big-as-front shapes. They were a joke to us And then we adopted them.
The Americans have banished speed for future boosting their cars on three counts:—
to
or
At a cost of eight million pounds, Britain was going to build the dream base of the future. It was to have had
In theory, the base will to countries in which they have
◆ I saw America' most bally- golf A
two course.
hooed sports car loundering a backs and, traditionally, newly modern
be used primarily BS hotels, cinemas,
porpoise-like at the Nuerburg palatial canteens and
rallying point from which independent territories are relue-
tant to have their
THEY bow
the long- Ring lust your cutstripped in creation
and troops can be down quickly masters on hand in strength.
standing grounds,
pleas of
by the speed and handling the nir-
American Automobile Associa British, Italien, un: German housing as good as the in modern transport
The African lenders
Safety aration and the. National therefore concerned lesi the Counell in de-emphasising the By air, Cairo is a little base be used as an excuse lor fentest and the fastest. Water pipes were laid 80
At the classic 21-hour Lo Mans de thero was to have miles through the bush, more than 2,000 miles from slowing down progress towards
self-government.
THEY are worried over the been another U.S.-built sports miles of tarmac road were Nairobi. Aden is under
public's mounting iden-45- car competag, backed by one of greatest manufacturers. built, and
sociation of speed with tragedies theh a railway spur 1,200; Sana, the capital of
on the highway.
The car has bezn withdrawn. connected the depot to the the Yemen is about 1,350.
Better nol Mombasa-Nairobi railway,
to uppear thai s Jerusalem, Amman, and
IN resolving to scratch all appear outclassed.
architects could dream up.
Labourers were even flown from Italy to speed the work.
But the plan collapsed in
craft.
ia 2,800 miles
Spot
curs.
But it is not in ine light of international Tacing that I de nounce this strange accuton
Tel Aviv are all between Moreover, the Introduction of ♬ advertising claims suggesting 2,100 and 2,300 and some thousands of troops into a spood, they will withdraw from Riyadh,the
small of relatively
town capital
like races that are used to back Nairobi could result in con- those claims. Saudi Arabia is 2,800.
siderable changes both in the
For they have found that the Malta
character and the social struc-
I am sure there will be a lot the face of two snags The awny.
turo of the town. In a country | cost of stock car racing is more of support to: the American where the few Europeans are than £2,600,000 a year, and the altitude. Speed con, of course, nearly all bosses of ane kind | contests have besorge so be dangerous. But so
can ill or another the ordinary soldier numerous
that victory now goting brukes, under-pressured
tyres, or bad steering inkago- factors that rob a car rond holding,
shortage of railway rolling
stock was so great that sup- All these points are ob- plies could not keep pace viously within the range of raight find himself in an uncom- curries a hollow ring. with the builders and the military versions of the fetable position, Mombasa harbour was not civil transport aircraft
Despite these
disadvantages,
equipped to most the extra which fly the Atlantic. But however, what has to be realised traffic.
it must be remembered that is that Britala is in a spot.
a plane carrying paratroops British Interests in the Middle
Specious?
of mate
And who would not prefer ( HOSE are the cause-and- be driven at 60 miles an hour efect polats they make. So by a driver he knows and trusts
coming sale of all thele meleg novice? military base of adequate size car. Chevrolet, which recently: must be maintained.
poured a fortune into a racing Corvette, now stop development Cyprus is a hostile area and, of this car. geographically, not ideally altu sted. Suzz Haa gora
Illogical
BOLISHING 'speed-or even
It was finally abandoned must not only be able to Enst connot de abandoned. And. Fords of America andounce the than at 40 miles an hour by a in a government economy get to the target but to if they are to be defasded, drive' in 1950.
get back either to its ori By them two million had ginal base or to some alter been spent on building and native base. Cyprus might as a turn- three million pounds' worth easily be use
Even of supplies had been loft around point.
160, there. It was estimated by there would be gravé dla a contractor who went there advantages in not being to bid on the surplus stock able to get back to the that three quarters of it original base.
DO
In thrine of their huge motor A the mention of t for good. Aden is much too dangerous. industry 1 muit bo impresstod," parisees to solve the world'% no-
Attention is therefore bound But I reserve the right to eldent problem. to be focused on Kenya. "It | bmalavo" in their renactis for. Man dies Brain will have to barring this word speed and make the best of it.
Fingiting is an outonat,
-Our- motoring mon" have Imported many good thingn
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