CO129-593-1 Future policy- unofficial views 18-6-1946 - 28-12-1946 — Page 33

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be dealthwith in fact, not as an aspect of colonial, but of

foreign policy. One of the questions which Mr. Alexander

Worth recently put to Marshal Stalin was "Do you believe that

the earliest withdrawal of all American troops from China to

be vital to peace" The answer was a categorical "Yes, I do".

This answer underlines the importance of the Chinese problem

which has hitherto been largely neglected in Britain. It may

well be that in a few years time even the future of Germany

and of the Middle East may seem to be of small significance

compared with that of China. Europe and the Eastern Mediter-

ranean and monopolies the headlines because there, as a result

of the War, the situation is fluid and the Big Four seek to

mould it in accordance with their wishes before the inevitable

crystallisation recurs. But China is probably the greatest

problem which faces both the United States and Russia. It is

the great potential market for American business and if the

United States could organise and equip its 400 million industrious

and intelligent inhabitants she would with the aid of a "democratic"

but capit list Japan, squeeze Russia out of the Pacific. With

the United States in control of chin and Japan Russia's grip on

Eastern Siberia would be in the highest degree precarious and

American hegemony in the Pacific assured. On the otherhand,

if Russia could control China, American efforts to protect

Japan against the infection of Communism would probably fail.

Communist influence would inevitably creep down to Indo- Chine

Burma, Malaya and Indonesia. India would no doubt be affected

and Asia would become a Communist continent. These are high

stakes indeed and Stalin may well consider the withdrawal of

The American troops fr m China to be vital to world peace.

British voter should also reflect that he cannot ignore such

developments if Britain is to remain a world power.

Is it ridiculous to suggest that Hong Kong

might play an important part in the peaceful resolution of

these massive problems? In considering these questions the

word p aceful must be emphasized. The fall of Hong Kong on

Christmas Day 1943 after a brave but futile defence, proved