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Mr Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Ceylon, said in an interview published here yesterday that he had made up his mind that British forces based on Ceylon would have to go.

Having foreign bases on our soil is not at all consistent with our sovereignty as a nation, he said in an interview with the U.S. News and World Report, a weekly magazine.

It is against my line of thinking in making Ceylon the Switzerland of Asia. Also it would make us one of the first targets if war should break out. (Britain has a navy base at Trincomalee and two R.A.F. bases on the island).

The Premier said Britain and Ceylon had not signed any agreement dealing specifically with bases unless the last Government entered into some secret agreement with the British which we dont know about yet.

BECOMING REPUBLIC

Mr Bandaranaike, said Ceylon would become a Republic but he had not yet decided whether it should leave the Commonwealth. He said a long time ago his party now in power advocated becoming a Republic and also withdrawing from the Commonwealth. Now, however, the case of India has shown that it is possible to remain within the Commonwealth without impairing ones sovereignty. There may be certain advantages in staying in, he said.

On the other hand, there may also be certain advantages in staying out. It we wanted to enter into certain regional agreements with other countries, with the U.S.A. for example, it might be easier if we were not members of another grouping like the Commonwealth. With the growth of international organizations, the practical advantages of Asian countries remaining in the Commonwealth are greatly reduced since there are other groupings we can become members of. Regional relationships are more important than the Commonwealth relationship these days. We have to look further into this whole matter of remaining in the Commonwealth.

NEUTRAL COURSE

Mr Bandaranaike said in general he agreed with the spirit of Mr Nehru in foreign policies. He described this as following a neutral course and non-alignment with any Power blocs.

He added: I think, sometimes he (Mr Nehru) has a tendency to lose sight of the intrinsically essential dynamism of communism.

In answer to a question, he said: Communism will continue to expand but the expansion will be slowed up.

Given at least 25 years without war, which I think the world needs, I think that the extremes of communism will disappear as they are doing now and the rest of the world will start moving towards the centre.

A suitable middle ground will evolve probably a type of democratic socialism.

TRADE BARRIERS

He said the most important measure to prevent such an explosion now was the elimination of trade barriers.

Then there must be increased contacts between East and West in other fields, he added. Thirdly, one must not permit oneself to be too fanatical on either side.

Certainly, if the whole world should decide that it wants communism. I am not going to stand in the way. But I dont think that is going to happen. Gradually communism will become watered down.

He said there was no danger of communist subversion in Ceylon. He thought Ceylon should exchange diplomatic missions with China, the Soviet Union and the East European countries. She had no such relations now though she trades with China.

He said he would like to make a trip around the world and would welcome a visit to Ceylon by Mr Bulganin, and Mr Khruschev, now on their way to Britain.

He said the Soviet leaders had agreed to a reasonable working formula to achieve peace when they signed Mr Nehrus statement of 6ve principles of co-existence during their visit to India last year.

Mr Bandaranaike said he would have to examine carefully the U.S.A.s recent decision to grant economic aid to Ceylon.

I am not ruling out aid from any country in the world, he added. But I must look into it carefully to see what conditions might be attached.

He said he would accept aid if it had no strings attached from the U.S.A. and from Russia and China. He would not object if Soviet technicians came to Ceylon and were paid a fee for their services on such projects as irrigation.

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HT This Day: April 18, 1956 -- Ceylon To Become Republic - Hindustan Times