Bertram Addresses S.C.M.

On Saturday evening, 26th May, Mr. James Bertram gave an address under the auspices of the Student Christian Movement entitling his talk "A Commentary on the Far East."

He explained at the outset that he was not taking sides, but that he wished only to express his own point of view. The present political and economic situation in China and the Far East must be examined in relation to the history of those countries. A study of the history of China, for example, shows that there is historical sanction for movements from below; there are acknowledged phases in the development of the country when the peasantry have mass-moved for reform, and such revolts are accepted as a national part of its history. Mr. Bertram instanced the Taiping Revolution, about a century ago, as the most recent of these spontaneous peasant risings.

He traced the origins of the present revolutionary movement in China to the 1920's and outlined its development. It has been said that the rising was not a natural peasant's revolt of similar nature to its antecedents, but the speaker pointed out that although Russian influence undoubtedly gave impetus to the movement, he knew of no evidence to suggest that Russia directly intervened, or gave material aid to the Chinese Communist forces. Since the establishment of the new government, however, it cannot be denied That many Russians have moved into China, and that Russian resources have assisted in the economic recovery of the country, if China wished to re-establish herself, she had to have outside aid. None offered from the West; she therefore looked to the East. Mr. Bertram expressed his disappointment in the British Government as not seizing this opportunity. Had Britain then recognised the People's Government of China and made Western help available, in all probability the international situation would not be in the unfortunate position in which it now finds itself. The years immediately following the last war were crucial ones, but the West failed to take advantage of the situation when it was within their power to remove International barriers. Since that time, China has moved more and more to the East, and the separation of the two world factions has become more apparent and more disturbing. He drew a contrast between 1945 and today. Then, barely six years later, we find virtually that the East is at war with the West. We see a conflict in Korea—certain countries counselling the remilitarisation of Japan—behind everything is the theme of an impending clash between the Soviet bloc and the American bloc.

It is to be regretted that Britain's policy immediately after the war in the hands of the Labour Government was not more forthright or embracing. Britain appeared to realise the tremendous changes that were taking place all over the world, as her graceful withdrawal from India would indicate, but her main American policy, in the hands of General McArthur, was the dominant Western influence, and our New Zealand Government chose to follow this lead, rather than pursue her own way, as she has often done in the past. New Zealand has previously enjoyed friendly relations with China and Japan, but today any such amity appears to have disappeared.

The Chinese have grown to hate America, who to them represents the whole of the Western countries.

With the accomplishment of these four tasks, and the implementation of trade treaties etc., much would be done to remove the problems which face the world today.

The only comment that should be made on Mr. Bertram's address is that the speaker's sincerity was impressive, and in view of the fact that he is an acknowledged authority on the Far East, one wonders whether the "Evening Post" and the "Economist" are the ultimate sources of truth.

—B.B.