My Life

My Life - Oswald MosleyThe balance to China—non-proliferationWhere force is necessary to prevent aggression it should be effective action natural tothe region, not a remote intervention from alien power. Asian affairs should be settledby Asians, and European or American influence should be confined to assisting suchdevelopments by wise and helpful policy. A natural balance to Chinese influence inAsia would be a combination between India and Japan. The energy and executiveability of Japan would be a support to India, and the Indian potential market would bea challenge and an outlet to the constructive capacities of Japan. All the influence ofWestern diplomacy should be devoted to promoting such developments. Instead oftramping around with much trumpeting of Western morality, which usually ends inthe pathetic squeak of precipitate retreat, we should strive for some practical solutionon a sound and durable regional basis, maintained and inspired by Asian ideas.A sphere of mutual economy and defence could peaceably, but in the event of dangereffectively, encircle China and south-east Asia from Japan to India, and could includein its circumference many of the Pacific islands and intermediate lands, without anyintervention in the legitimate interests of China on the mainland of Asia and withoutany clash, unless that country strove to pass beyond its natural sphere by force of arms.A combination of Japan with the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia could provide amarket with a population almost as large as the European Common Market, and thefurther connection for these purposes with India would bring together a population aslarge as that of China. If the emergence of an Indian-Japanese combination provedpossible, the attraction of that vast economic and power potential might inducePakistan to overcome differences with India and to join it as an alternative to analignment with the Moslem world. Until we can secure universal disarmament theWestern powers should certainly consider assisting a combination of India and Japanto acquire nuclear weapons. The non-proliferation of nuclear weapons might movefrom abortive discussion to a practical achievement if, on the basis of a generalsettlement of spheres of influence, the possession of these weapons could be confinedto a five-power bloc: America, Europe, Russia, China, India-Japan. This is in my viewa preferable arrangement to guarantees by Western powers which the East maysuspect will not be honoured, and can bring world war if they are implemented. Thereare many fascinating possibilities for a dynamic diplomacy which seeks a realisticpeace in place of a moral posturing which masks the imposition of alien systems.Having established the principle that intervention in Asia by force of arms is not ourbusiness and ends inevitably in a frustration costly of both blood and treasure, weshould use our influence to secure peace—but not hand out guarantees which caninvolve us in war. Asians must assume their own responsibilities, and this will be themaking of their civilisation. It is our task to defend Australia, but not south-east Asia.Australia and the DominionsThe theory is that we can only defend Australia by holding south-east Asia, and thatin any case our economic system requires supplies from that region. As for theeconomic question, I know of no material from south-east Asia which cannot bedeveloped in Africa, and I can see no good reason why we should risk a war to obtainthings which we can get within our natural sphere of influence. The larger questionwhether Australia can be defended without bases in south-east Asia is even moreeasily answered. The proper place to defend Australia is in Australia, where, ifnuclear weapons are suitably disposed, no force from Asia can traverse the399 of 424