NEWS OF THE WEEK
T. HE Conference of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers which opens at Colombo on Monday may well turn out to be considerably more important than dis- cussions regarding it have so far suggested. That the meeting is less formal than some, and will start with no fixed agenda, is all to the good, but if the conference is to be limited to ten days resolute seleCtion will have to be made from the mass of questions to which the Ministers might profitably apply themselves. Their mere contact should be of great value in itself, for new Governments have just taken office in Australia and New Zealand ; for their representatives to strike acquaintance with their Commonwealth colleagues will be an experience of value for all concerned. Within the Commonwealth delicate questions like relations between India and Pakistan, and between both and South Africa, may be assisted towards solution through friendly counsel from Mr. Bevin and Mr. Noel-Baker. Apart from that, the Commonwealth as a whole must if possible concert a united policy regarding measures to stay the onset of Communism in Asia, and in particular regarding the recognition of the Com- munist regime in China. India and Pakistan have already done this, but the position of Britain and Canada is difficult, in view of the opposition of a large section of American opinion to any recognition of Mao Tse-tung, and the manifest desirability of working in the closest harmony with the United States. Recog- nition by this country, it is understood, has been decided on and is likely to be announced immediately ; if so, the sooner the rest of the Commonwealth takes a similar step the better. But that step in itself will raise new problems, and the opportunity for the Commonwealth States to consider them together is fortunate.
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