From Hansard, Thursday 29 June 1950
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, 29th June, 1950
Korean Situation: Ministerial Statement-Opening of New House of Commons-Chairman of Committees-Imprest Supply Bill.
Mr. Speaker took the chair at half past two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
KOREAN SITUATION:
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
The Right Hon. Mr HOLLAND (Prime Minister).- Sir, with the leave of the House, I should like to make a statement. The Government is following events in Korea with the utmost attention, and is in constant touch with the British and American Governments. The New Zealand Government holds the view that the action taken by the Security Council is fully in accord with the United Nations Charter. The Charter provides that the Security Council shall determine the existence of any breach of the peace or act of aggression, and shall make recommendations or decide what measures shall be taken to deal with it. If measures not involving the use of armed forces would be ineffective, then the Security Council may take such action by air, sea, or land Forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security.
Despite the fact that the arrangements contemplated in Article 43 of the Charter have not been concluded, because of disagreements between the leading members, and there are no formal agreements with the Security Council under which members would make available to the Council Armed Forces and other assistance which the Council may call upon and use where necessary, the New Zealand Government holds the view that the Security Council has a clear duty to maintain international peace and security, and feels that it is incumbent upon members of the United Nations to give their full co-operation in all endeavours to achieve that end. The New Zealand Government welcomes the measures, thus promptly taken, by the Security Council, and fully approves the terms of the Council’s resolution of the 27th June. It has advised the United Kingdom and the United States Governments of its support for the action taken by those Governments to assist the Republic of Korea to withstand aggression. The New Zealand Government will do whatever lies within its power to fulfil the obligations it has incurred under the United Nations Charter. It is prepared to make available units of the Royal New Zealand Navy, should this form of assistance be required, and it is at present in consultation with the United Kingdom Government on this matter.
The Right Hon. Mr. FRASER (Leader of the Opposition).- Sir, with the leave of the House, I should like to say that the seriousness of the matter referred to in the Prime Minister’s statement will be clear to the country. There can be no two opinions about the matter. I have not had an opportunity of discussing it with other members of the Opposition, but I feel certain that when aggressive action is taken by one nation against another, violating the principles of the United Nations to which we have so whole-heartedly subscribed, then my colleagues will stand with me alongside those who support the United Nations. We have to-day a clear act of aggression, an unscrupulous act of aggression. Personally I feel we should be grateful to President Truman for acting with such promptitude and strength, because if that sort of aggression is allowed to go on then no country, no person, no home, and no life in the world will be safe.
The action of the Government in this matter has my whole hearted support. We are pledged to do it. My only regret is the agreements under Article 35 of the Covenant were not made. I am sorry that the agreements have not been made, so that the Security Council could act upon them. In the absence of the agreements, the United Nations has called upon the nations to honour their pledges and promises. The United States of America has done so; Britain has done so; and most of the nations will do so. We must be on the right side against aggression. Without any hesitation I support the action of the Government and the statement made by the Prime Minister, and will do everything in my power-and I am sure my colleagues will also- to assist to follow it up. I do not believe that general war is inevitable. I believe that the prompt action taken will not only end the aggression in Korea, but will probably end aggression in a great part of the world. I hope and earnestly pray that there will be no extended war. The world is sick of war; even so, it cannot tolerate aggression by military, steam-roller methods.
I just want to speak for a moment or two on our country. On the map New Zealand does appear to be a very small place. I would say it would be to the advantage of everyone of us, particularly at this time, to study a map of the world, or at least of the Pacific area, with Asia showing. It is well worth studying when we think of what is happening in Korea. We know that our Dominion is a very young country with a very small population. It has been settled for about a hundred years, In fact, the Canterbury centennial celebrations are commencing in Christchurch to-morrow night. The Prime Minister is going down, and there are others from here who will take part in that ceremony on Friday.
It is important because it causes us to look back over a period of a hundred years to consider what has been done by small groups of people who arrived here from 1840 and 1850 onwards. When we think of what this country has done, how it has increased its production, how roads and railways have been built, from the time the first ships came out until to-day, we realize just how precious a land this is. We know that the produce of this country, such as butter, meat and wool, is of tremendous importance to Great Britain. Then we know that not far from our shores, as the Hon. Mr. Cockerell mentioned last evening, there are millions of people in India, China, Singapore and so on, who are on the verge of starvation, and many of whom are actually starving. Then we know that those people who are able to read and who have travelled and know what we have down here, must feel envious of what we have.
We are a part of a great Empire. We call it the British Commonwealth of Nations. We are proud to be a part of that Empire. It is a great Empire, and contains great men in every part of it. The representatives of this country have been able to compare with the representatives of other parts of this great Empire. Over a period of years there have been many great men associated with the development, safety, and care of the Empire. They have had one purpose, and that has been to build the strength of a Christian community, not only for the benefit of the Empire, but of the whole world. That has been done very well and very effectively. Now, we turn to the United Nations. We find that the British Commonwealth of Nations or the British Empire is not just one unit or part of the United Nations, but that each part is represented at the United Nations as a full member. The main purpose of the United Nations is to so arrange the affairs of the various countries that the world will be able to live in peace and harmony. For a period our Empire led the world. During the recent great wars, however, the strength of the British Empire has been reduced, and now we find that a major Power, Soviet Russia, has arisen, and has caused the United States of America as perhaps, the strongest member of the United Nations, to give a lead.
International affairs should have the closest attention and examination of every unit of the United Nations, and New Zealand is one important unit of that body. We all know that the American nation, through its President, made a very important announcement early in the Korean trouble, when the Forces of North Korea crossed the line that divided them from the people of South Korea. America decided very quickly that this aggression should stop, and immediately sent troops to the area. We see a strange situation there in peace-time - and I do not know of any declaration of war yet. We have the unusual situation of a Civil war being waged in Korea-virtually that is what it amounts to-and a foreign Power going on to the territory with troops and gunfire, and conducting a war. We appreciate that we have undertaken a responsibility. It is a very necessary responsibility, and a very necessary liability. The strength of the United Nations is required if the peace of the world is to be maintained. There is no one Force, no one Power in the world, or in the United Nations group, which can against Russia, muster sufficient strength to maintain the peace of the world. We have undertaken to do our share. But New Zealand is a small country.