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EMPIRE TALKS ON
JAP PEACE TREATY
Started at Canberra
Today
CANBERRA, Tuesday: Delegates
and advisers from eight Empire coun
tries this morning began their consid
eration of Empire views on the Japan
ese Peace Treaty.
The proceedings began in an atmo
sphere of marked secrecy, with security
officers on duty to guard agalns', 'gate
crauhlng' or any other unwanted in
trusion on the privacy of the debates,
which are bein!; held In th? Hjuse'of
Representatives' chamber. ' '
In addition t:- Britain and Ai'strjlia,
countries taking part in the conference
comprise Canada, South Africa, New
Zealand, Burma. India, and Pakistan.
Main questions to be decided include
dt procedural issue* at the final
react settlement with Jamn .ind the
Empire countries' basic obje'.'lves ,in
tii-; final settlement.
Conference will consider siwh ques
tions as control end superviiku of
Japanese disarmament and the de
militarisation of Japanese territorial
urovislons. including what is to be done
with the former Japanese overseas Em
pire; also political, financial, and
economic provisions to be borne by the
The conference, which Is sitting be
hind locked doors, was officially opened
this morning by the Prime Minister.
Mr. chlfley.
All subsequent sessions are In camera,
but it is known that the majority o{
representatives are already in agree
ment on the need for an early and
firm peace and the development of a
democratic and economically self
supporting Japan. -
It is anticipated that the United
Kingdom will firmly supporjP ''.Aus-
tralia's determination, to take an in
uicuaiuKiy iinpunanb part in: tne i*a^
cific responsibility incIudiHgk ifi iftfJ
fence DA \
The Australian Minister ? for Exter
nal Affairs i Di Evatt was elected
chairman of the conferenceii J -
'In welcoming the' delegates, Mr
Chifley voiced the hope that the dis
cussions would 'be of great value, not
only to countries taking part In the
conference, but to all the people of the
world, and that they would aid in the
testoration of that stability so badly
needed r Js v( ) -
Delegates of other nations spo^e
briefly. v , \\
New Zealand's Prime Minister, Mr
Peter Fraser, declared that 'the con
f'rence would, not produce any 'Hup
up ' against other rations in respect of
the Japanese Peace Treaty -
' - e - , , . ?
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