There is no richer cause of confusion than the use of the term West or Western to describe the alliance of certain powers against the Communist nations.
Australia is thus a “Western” nation, but Poland is not. The opposite of West is East – but East means India as well as Russia.
But there is a greater danger than the mere chance of verbal confusion. For when statesmen use the word “West”, it is never quite clear whether they are thinking of an alliance of democratic nations against the Communists or an alliance of white nations against the rest of the world. Still worse, there is sometimes a suspicion that they are not clear themselves.
So when Field Marshal Montgomery calls for a triumvirate of Britain, France and the United States within Nato to direct “global policy”, and when General de Gaulle appears to echo this demand more formally, it is important first to ask exactly what they mean and what they are demanding.
Talking point
A bill providing for sweeping changes in the law of divorce is being prepared by the Marriage Law Reform Society. The bill aims to make “breakdown of the marriage” the main basis for divorce. The present law is based on the concept of “matrimonial offence”.
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Quote of the week
“Are we to continue this mad arms race? Shall we Christians stand aside without trying to halt this journey to race suicide?”
Dr Cuthbert Bardsley, the bishop of Coventry, on nuclear test
