AUSTRALIAN LEFT REVIEW December, 1967 THE EVOLUTION OF He is content to repeat, without AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN question or analysis, the main stock phrases of the cold war mythology, POLICY 1938 1965, resolutely shutting his eyes to the by Alan Watt. volumes of evidence presented by Pro­ Cam bridge University Press, fessor D. F. Fleming, Professor P. M. S. 387 pp, $9.35. Blackett, Mr. David Horowitz (in his newly-published Penguin From Yalta THE BATTLE OF STALINGRAD to Vietnam) and other writers that is widely recognised as the turning “Stalin” did not, after all, start the point of the Second World War in cold war. Europe. That it was also the turn­ ing point of the war in Asia and This is a pity because Sir Alan, the Pacific isn’t so widely believed, having retired from the post of head but it is the only inference to be of the External Affairs Department, drawn from a passage in Sir Alan is no longer officially required to be­ Watt’s new book on Australian for­ lieve what his governmental superiors eign policy. were saying and the book shows that he doesn't believe quite a lot of it. He quotes Japanese author Toshi- kazu Kase’s report that “when the Sir Alan begins, in fact, with an news of the surrender of the German exposure of the Munich Pact of 1938. army at Stalingrad reached Tokyo on January 31, 1943, a conference was The contention of the Left at that held at the Japanese foreign office time that an alliance of the western to study the European situation.” The powers with the Soviet Union in majority- of government leaders agreed support of Czechoslovakia could have that there was now little chance of stopped Hitler without a war is an Axis victory and "consequently strengthened by Sir Alan's analysis. Japan must reorientate her policy before Germany collapsed." Prince If there is one legend of the recent Konoye, Marquis Kido and other past for which Sir Alan has little leaders began moves towards peace. respect, it is the infallibility of “Bril­ “Bitter fighting in the war with liant Bob”. In Sir Alan Watt's "after­ Japan still lay ahead,” writes Sir noon light" Menzies shows up as a Alan Watt, “but the fear of actual blunderer whose conceit and arro­ invasion of Australia by a ruthless gance had a wholly evil effect on enemy was lifted.” Australian foreign policy during the time he dominated it. That Soviet actions and policies can powerfully affect Australian se­ His blind support of Sir Anthony curity even today does not seem to Eden in the invasion of Egypt in have made much impression on Sir 1956, his clash with Nehru in 1960 Man Watt because he says nothing and his refusal to join even such a more about it and in a book devoted crusted Tory as Harold Macmillan in to the evolution of Australian for­ acknowledging the Afro-Asian “winds eign policy, 1938-65, gives only a pas­ of change” are all dealt with. sing glance at Australia’s relations with one of the world's two super In one speech, which Watt quotes, powers. He does not mention the Menzies came as close as anyone rupture of 1954, the renewal of con­ could these days to justifying the use tacts in 1959 or the trade treaty of of force as an instrument of national 1965. policy. 75 AUSTRALIAN LEFT REVIEW Decem ber, 1967 Even Lord Casey, it seems, was context of today. Can anyone really not reactionary enough to suit Men­ think that a few Colom bo Plan zies. In 1954 Casey opposed US plans crumbs for the “good" Asians will to intervene in Vietnam and, says undo the effect of all the bombs on Watt, “one is tempted to speculate the “bad” ones? whether a contributing cause of (Casey's retirement as external affairs Sir Alan notes that as long ago minister in 1960) was the belief that as 1937 the Australian Prime Min­ Australian foreign policy by this time ister, J. A. Lyons, proposed a Pacific had become too rigid to meet the security pact to include the US.' challenge of a rapidly changing Com­ the USSR, China and Japan, as wc monwealth of Nations and world at as others. His readers may be in­ large." clined to think that what has hap­ pened to Australian foreign policy, Still too much the diplomat to call mainly under Menzies’ influence, since anyone a fool, Sir Alan says that then has been not “evolution" but re­ Menzies “could not cast an active, gression. fertile and imaginative mind to­ W. A . W ood wards the future.” Perhaps his read­ ers will be content to leave it at that. THE LIFE AND All the more disappointing is Sir ADVENTURES OF WILLIAM Alan's concluding chapter, called A BUCKLEY, by John Morgan, Re-Appraisal, in which he comes Ed. by C. E. Sayers, out for those very Australian policies Sketches by J. H. Wedge, which the ultra-reactionary, too rigid, Heineman, 116 pp, $4.50. force-loving Sir Robert was most in­ MOST PEOPLE will vaguely recall strumental in framing and imposing from school history books the story on the Australian Government and people. of the wild white man who burst into Batman's camp on Port Phillip in He barracks for the American war 1835 with a cry of “Don’t shoot, I’m alliance directed against Asian pro­ a British object!" Some may associate gressives; he recites, with scarcely this wild white man with the pro­ a glance at the opposition’s case, the verbial phrase “Buckley’s chance". Very Johnson-Rusk-McNamara line on few will know that Buckley dictated Vietnam. Yet he objects to Holt's All his memoirs to John Morgan, a Van- the Way statement and says Australia demonian journalist, or that these must not only have, but appear to were ever printed. Well, here are the have, a foreign policy of its own. memoirs, and they are fascinating. Seeking a solution of the dilemma William Buckley was born in Che­ which he apparently recognises, Sir shire in 1780, served in the infantry Alan claims that “foreign policy is in the Netherlands, and while on fur­ plural not singular. A country has lough was arrested on a charge of many objectives and it is usually pos­ receiving stolen goods, and transported. sible to pursue several of these at He was selected to go with Lt. Col. the one time.” Flis contention, in line Collins’ party in the first abortive with this, that Australia can have attempt in 1803 to found a settlement “both friendly relations with Asia on Port Phillip. He absconded, and as well as an alliance including the fell in with Aborigines who, instead of United States” is unconvincing in the spearing him, adopted him. He lived 76.