1940-12-30 — Page 7

Anglo- Unity

SOMETHING closer than mere or wrongly looked upon

occasional cooperation-some-greatest possible exponent of ever defence—a very realistle and in- tions that goes far beyond what theever, but practical problems of means and measures of two na- thing closely approaching union closer and more active cooperas mediate mutual danger and need has now appeared on the horizon tion between the American

and of meeting it-that has given the is or can be publicly known in recent fresh impulse to the pre-detail at this stage. Production of In any case, there is no doubt sent tendency toward far-reaching | 'planes, design and manufacture of Nazism and Fascism with their Anglo-American cooperation.

tanks, artillery, munitions, etc.,

of Anglo-American relations,

Both in London and Washing- ton, serious consideration is being

ordinating National defence plans

recent world events.

is a that

must

British peoples.

ever-expanding

By Mallory

ambitions

of

Brownel

England's Realisation Are 'being standardised in both

rude

countries to a

England realised with a

startling extent. Jolt last summer that collapse of This implies a degree of unity be- France meant Britain would between the two Governments and left alone against a whole con- military, naval, air staffs that can- tinent under totalitariun terror;

or

her Qwb

as for war, that Britain is looking toward America. We have been repeatedly impressed by the num- ber and calibre of British people who to-day envision postwar re-

These two pacts, however, vital and historic innovations as they construction as essentially a joint were, are but main outward signs Anglo-American task. Cabinet co-ordination of defence Ministers, labour leaders, military

U

Pawn In Asian Strategy

(By A Special Correspondent)

and naval chiefs have expressed privately-and more cautiously in public statements as well-their deep conviction that only if Bri- tain and the United States get to- gether, not merely intermittently upan occasion, but lastingly upon ang

Nothing could demons- trate more clearly the jus- tice of the cause for which Britain is at war than the temper of the National Conference of Labour Wo-given for the first time to deeper then at Southport. Of 300 Implications of the need for co- delegates from Labour or- of Great Britain and the United ganisations all over the States. As a result, there

steadily growing conviction country only three dis- the underlying unity of interests sented from a resolution and mutual security of the two to the effect that the war find expression in more perman-

English-speaking peoples

and that this meant victory would not fall to have far-reaching, pro- must be prosecuted to a ent and far-reaching form of co-

be possible only with the full as found effects in diplomatic poli- sistance of the distinguishable world domination have since the Simultaneously,

United States.tical flelds. The same applies to successful conclusion. No-operation hardly

from some measure, at least, of beginning of the war whipped up America realised that

nearly so, economic financial matters under body can suspect these union.

the normally sluggish stream of security depended on alding Bri- present total war conditions, women of Imperialist This is the climax that has Anglo-American relations into aftain. This mutual awakening to

lately been reached by one of the rushing torrent. pride or greed or doubt

As Mr. J. L. their interdependence in the at- Peace Also Considered most significant undercurrents Garvin of "The Observer," Wrote ters of security and defence led to that they know from in-stirred by war Relations between rerently, history will probably re- the formation

America and Great Britain have cord the ironical fact that Adolf Canadian

of the American-

Nevertheless, it is at least as timate experience the ter- unquestionably been hurled for-Hiller's greatest achievement was and thence to agreement whereby

Joint Defence Board much for peace and reconstruction rible cost of war in life, ward and upward by the course of to unite Britain and America. the United States obtained much- health, and happiness.

Actually, of course, Herr Hitler needed naval bases on British ter- and war have not achieved this ritory in the return for 50 overage Their support of British Effect Of Election end. They have only unwillingly destroyers equally needed by the resistance to Hitler lends

and unwittingly helped precipitate Royal Navy. Qutcome of the American Pre-a trend that has long been in- all the greater strength to sidential election appears their demand for vigil- Britain Mr. Roosevelt is rightly

likely herent in the basic unity of origin to favour and further this trend and ideals of two countries.

It is not abstract idealism, how-'of ance and courage in do- mestic policy. During the last war evils were bred which ravaged one coun-- try after another in the last months of 1918, spreading death more ra- pidly than war itself. The moral of that experience is that social services are more necessary than ever and the conference emphasised that truth. The president had an ex- cellent sentence on the future: "An uneducated and underfed people could not build a better world.' The whole weight of this body of knowledge, perience, and sympathy will be put behind the de- mand for a bold policy on education and nutrition. In our ill-arranged society the children are,

as Sir William Beveridge has said, the chief single cause of poverty, and of these children thousands

go through life disabled in health and vitality by its burdens. If the gross in- equalities of which the president spoke are to be removed that vicious cir- cle must be broken.

in war,

When the Government at Bang- kok i 1939 discarded the name

Siam for the more ancient and

honourable title of Muang Thai-

Land of the Free it convinced no one, except perhaps the Siamese

Thailand'

present

forms and the

to the promotion of internal re- those in Sian by fast steamer ser- modernisation of Vices. Experienced Japanese publi- her agriculture, industry, and in-ests have been sent to Thailand stitutions.

to explain the New Order in East Asia."

far-seeing basis, is there

real hope of avoiding repetition of tragic errors of the past 20 years. Japan in the Far East, as well as Germany in Europe, constitute problems which can only be solved permanently on the basis of jus- tice for all if Britain and America

themselves, that Thailand had hot new-found nationalism was aid- This manifestation of Thailand's on and still retained her inde-ed by her neighbours, particularly the ground floor" of Siamese na

Japan, in short, has "got in on pendence by the grace of her more Britain powerful neighbours.

and Japan, and received tionalism, and her agents have are able to unite in preserving impeltis after the bloodless politi-won to key positions throughout peace as well as aiding adminis- eat and sveral revolution of 1932. the country.

tration of Justice. ominously resembles that of soming of a virtual military dictator- position which was followed by the found-

Under

It is lu the late Lord Lothian that European States. Her claims to ship.

at military dictatorship territory outside her present bord- [

herself, Thailand has looked to much of the credit for progress in ers are based, like those of Ger-;

Germany and Japan for inspira- Anglo-American understanding The Japanese, in aiding Thai- tion in her programme of nation- must go, and this is being increas- many, ou ancient boundaries won hand, have entrenched themselves alism. Not since 1917, when she ingly acknowledged of Siamese minorities in the dis-

in London,”. by conquest and on the presence in the country's life. Practically declared war on Germany, has she His success in replacing previous

every Government ex-puted areas. Her ambition is to the army, the navy, the majority is now.

department, stressed national defence so much distrusts and coldness by confid- Shan States of Burma, and even mercial firms have Japanese ad- embrace Cambodia, Tonkin, the of the Fanks, and nearly all com- spent on defence

Since 1932 the amount ence and good will has won re- each year has cognition on both sides of the At- the provinces Yunnan

more than doubled, and how ac-lantic as an outstanding diploma- that within these areas are Siam Thailand that Germany has won

visers. Japan now occupies the counts for more than half the na- tic achievement of democracy— sume commanding influence In tional income. Conscription has fitting reply to "force-diplomacy” ese-speaking minorities totalling in Slovakia.

been introduced, and the army of totalitarian dictatorships. 11.000.000--or land's present population.

has 1,500 foreign-trained officers, and more than 10,000 non-com- missioned officers,

THE BASER SIDE OF THINGS

of

and Szechwan in China, and she claims

tional

more than Thai-

directed Siamese policy aspirations, has

for her

own advantage. It was Japanese influence which caused Thailand to embarrass the Chinese Govern-

the

Janan has played cleverly on the enthusiastic nationalism of the Siamese. She has never lost an op-

land's

Relations in Transition

These ambitions have been en-

Despite this undoubted progress, couraged by Japan, who, under portunity of recalling that Cam- trained in Japan, and Japan also relations between

Most of the officers have been however, it is vital to realise that the cloak of aiding Thailand's na-bodia was "seized" by the French, built 85 per cent.

the United of the small, Stafes and Britain are emphatic- steadily or to insist that for 50 years Thai- but modern, fleet, which now in- ally in a state of transition. One

industrial and

destroyer, four financialcludes a activities have been dominated by murines.

sub-has only to recall the friction that and 18 torpedo-boats. flared up over the British opening Great Britain and China; and Eighty-five per cent. also of the of American mails less than a year Tokyo still maintains that Britain officers in Thailand's havy were ago to appreciate this point. has attempted to mould Siamese trained in Japan, and the extent Events have moved fast and far foreign policy.

to which Japan has influenced the since then, but Anglo-American country's new military power is cooperation still is in a state of Thailand has apparently failed shown by the fact that some com- flux. to realise Japan's ulterior aims, mands are given in the Japanese selfishness, or to observe that | language. every branch of Siamese lile lu

A similar rejuvenation has taken ese influence that the now so impregnated with Japan-place in the air force, which has Bangkok grown from five planes, in 1935, Government is rapidly losing the to

morc than 150 front-line very independence of thought and American fighting planes to-day. assisting Thailand to gain. action which it imagines Japan is

mant at a critical stage of Sino-Japanese war, and the same Itfluence is responsible for Thai- land's present pressure on French Indo-China.

In very similar circumstances Germany encouraged Poland in her demands on Czecho-Slovakia, and aided Slovakia against the

Czechs. Far

Eastern observers have not failed to draw the com- parison, and to point out the dan ger to Thailand's independence. should she eventually stand in the way of a too-powerful Japan.

Japanese Infiltration

century with her ancient border Thailand entered the twentieth quarrels apparently ended,

and

Running A Risk

Much depends now on whether the United States enters the waf; and if so how soon. It would be. dangerous to close our eyes to the plain fact that America's role in rebuilding peace must inevitably depend in great part on the role it plays in war. If that role were to be limited to "cash and carry”. The reports which have cir- Discontent with the present or-aid to Britain-aid deeply appre- culated from time to time of rifts der as the result of a growth of ciated but dearly bought, too, it It will be noticed that

in the relations between Thailand nationalism among a backward should not be forgotten-it is in even those who nowadays

and Japan have invariably ori- people has been fostered by Japan the first place doubtful whether. make such free use of the

have been the reports have proved false, and success in Thailand, and what is in framing peace except Germany: ginated in Tokyo. In every case for her own ends with conspicuous any country would have any say, term "ideology" never ap- she turned with great enthusiasm a false estimate of Japan's in- extent. Nowhere has Japan ex-won with only commercial assist

designed, apparently, true there is true in other Eastern and in the second place it is cer- to lull Thailand's heighbours into countries, though, not to the same tain that ever if Britain finally, ply it in a good sense. You never hear anyone. talk concerned with the abso-ant little kingdom..

fluence in the strategically import-pended so much effort with such ance from the United States,

-success-as among the Siamese.. about the ideology of lov Tute value of pure ideas

America could hardly expect" to` Efforts by Britain' and France to have much say about the peace ing-kindness or common now

"The New Order" check Thailand's tendency to be-settlement that would follow. serige or right and justice, which is poisonous or con- tions with Thailand dates back to success. They won from Bangkok

something

The beginning of Japan's la- from Tokyo have met with some. One of Many Questions

come a puppet State taking orders All the decencies of exist- temptible. It would be 1614, and despite the rise of Bri in 1939 at least a promise of neu- ence have been able to get rather a good thing iftis influence, to-day Japan plays trulity. But to-day Japanese pow-Anglo-American utilty,

Fortunately for the future of along very comfortably such a remarkable exam- internal and foreign affairs. Thai Thailand's borders is in the as-is being frankly faced.

a commanding part in Thailand's er in Eastern waters and along evidence that this important fact without any ideologies in ple of debased verbal curto vote against Japan when the mid anxious to take advantage of tions and difficulties that must be land was one nation which refused cendancy. Encouraged by Japan only one of countless thorny ques the jargon sense of to-day rency could be dropped League of Nations Condemned the the how situation, the Siamese are solved before union-even a vert to support them; it is only altogether. Unfortunately campaign against Manchukuo... apparently willing to assist the modest partial measure of, unlott. the smash-and-grab raid it is one of those words

growth of Japanese power in the between Britain and America During the last eight years when For East and the system of oppres- which exercise a fatal fas- Siamese

and run the risk of becomes practical. nationalism has been themselves becoming subservient sion which call for that cination over victims of Thailand,

changing the course and shape of to an ally, whom they helped to

Nevertheless, the current the Tapanobe have power. particular verbal buttress. the jargon complex. They, utilised the new trend of thought

thought in both countries is to- Should that sititation brise Bri- day flowing strongly more And so we reach the curt at any rate, become only vain and intensely patriotic peo Thailand, will be endangered, for tory in that direction, and this among a careless, carefree, but fain's interests, as well as those of strongly than ever before in his- bus conclusion that a too easily "wrapped up ple, for their own davantage. Teyond Thailand lle Malaya and enquestionably constitutes one of term which was originally in ideologies.

ban has increased her trade with Burma, gateways to Australia and the most encouraging aspects of Thailand, and linked her ports to India,

the warring world in-transition.

means

there is

.This is