Sept. 26] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 1421

adequate measures to deal with this insidious menace to our democratic way of life should be written into the law at the earliest opportunity. Whilst jealously guarding the fundamental right of the individual to legitimate freedom of speech and to liberty of conscience, therefore, the Government will examine existing legislation with a view to strengthening the law so that subversive activities, which tend to stir up ill-will, disaffection, and class hatred amongst our people, may be more effectively dealt with.

In the period since I last addressed you, two developments of special significance to New Zealand have taken place in the international field—the signature of the Japanese Peace Treaty at San Francisco and the signing of the Tripartite Security Agreement between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Particular attention has been devoted to these matters by my Government, which has conferred for almost twelve months with the representatives of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and of other countries concerned. Throughout the protracted negotiations that have been conducted over the past five years in connection with the Japanese Peace Settlement, the New Zealand Government has never failed to place in the foreground of its policy its anxiety lest there should be a resurgence of Japanese militarism. I am happy to say, however, that, in the opinion of my Advisers, the fears that have been entertained in this regard have now been met to a very great extent by the mutual security arrangement just recently concluded with the United States. They consider, moreover, that an even greater and more immediate danger to the peace and tranquillity of the Pacific would exist if Japan were left entirely defenceless and thus became a fertile seed-bed for the spread of Communism.

The Peace Treaty imposes no limitations on the sovereignty of Japan and, furthermore, it provides a full opportunity for the Japanese Government and people to co-operate with all other peace-loving States in promoting the principles of the United Nations Charter and a state of enduring peace. It is the earnest hope of my Government that the generosity of the terms and the absence of a spirit of vengeance in the peace settlement will convince the Japanese people that their true interest lies in matching friendship with friendship and in meeting co-operation with a like spirit.

We in New Zealand earnestly trust that this will prove to be the case and that Japan, in common with the other nations of the Pacific, will recognize that the blessings of peace are those which above all else serve the best interests of her people, and that war as an instrument of policy inevitably fails and that it would, in the future, as it has done in the past, visit upon the people of the aggressor nation just and certain retribution.

On the 1st of September the Tripartite Security Treaty was signed at San Francisco, and now awaits ratification by the three Governments concerned. The conclusion of this Treaty of mutual assistance is regarded by my Advisers as a most important advance not only for our own people, but also for the partner nations of the British Commonwealth. While the Treaty does not express anything new in the relationship between the United States and our own country, it nevertheless recognizes our mutual dependence and embodies a formal undertaking by which all three countries mutually pledge themselves to render immediate assistance to one another in the event of attack upon any of them. The clear recognition in the Treaty of the fact that New Zealand and Australia have special defence responsibilities as members of the Commonwealth will enable them to contribute in the most effective manner to the defence of the free world. It is a matter of much gratification to my Ministers that the conclusion of this Agreement has been so warmly welcomed by the United Kingdom, not only as a valuable contribution to the security of the British Commonwealth, but also as complementary to the mutual understanding and assurances of support which exist between the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.