NEED FOR UNITY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 194, 30 May 1945, Page 3

NEED FOR UNITY

POSITION OF RUSSIA. VETO POWER DEFENDED. STRONG SECURITY COUNCIL SOUGHT. (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright.) (Rec. 1.0) SAN FRANCISCO, May 28. M. Gromyko, addressing a large dinner audience, further clarified Russia’s position, emphasising the need for unity among the Great Powers if world peace is to be maintained. The correspondent of the “New York Times” said M. Gromyko stated the greatest, desire of the people of all the member nations is for effective security organisation free from"'the defects of the League of Nations. For that reason Russia insists on the strong Security Council proposed at Dumbarton Oaks and Yalta with the Big Five (Britain, America, Russia, China and France) holding permanent seats and special veto powers. That is the reason why Russia opposed the amendments by the small nations introduced by the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, which would have decreased the councils powers and increased the General Assembly’s in which every member would have an equal vote.

M. Gromyko contended that the only wav to-ensure an effective organisation was to have a eomparatvely small body able to make swift decisions and carry them out immediately for the restraint of aggression and the settlement of disputes leading to war. If the New Zealand amendment had been adopted the organisation would not. be able to act quickly and decisively. M. Gromyko gave three reasons why he considered that the big power type of organisation is not contrary to the principles of democracy.

(1) The General Assembly will be unrepresentative, body including all members, each having one vote. 1 ,* (2) More than half tlie= memUters of the Security Council will be' elected by the General Assembly. (3) The nations with permanent seats on the Security Council deserve the respect of all peaceloving nations since, with the help of the other United Nations, they saved the world from enslavement by Fascist barbarians. They saved democracy from the loss of independence and freedom for many peoples at a cost of many lives. They also saved many peoples from extermination. National Prestige. M. Gromyko held that tlie consideration of prestige should be moved to the background and the fundamental national interests of countries and peoples should be moved into the foreground. What the peoples really wanted was to prevent another world war which would be much more disastrous than the present one because of the advances in military technique and technology. » M. Gromyko said he opposed Mr Mackenzie King’s proposals, because the Soviet Government believed that they also would weaken the organisation and would give Middle Powers an obligatory right to sit in Security Council meetings which discuss the use of armed forces against the gressor. The Canadian plan would have made the Security Council’s work more difficult and weaken its effectiveness arid speed of action. Under it there was no definite membership on the Council and the most critical decisions would be adopted not only by the Council, but by an indefinite number of nations whose participation in the Council would be accidental. M. Gromyko insisted that it was essential that the Council should enjoy the full confidence of all members and have the right to decide whether any given country be invited to attend or not. For an effective organisation, discipline built on a voluntary basis is needed. . , _ , ... M. Gromyko emphasised that, it the problem of peace is to he solved, there must be a mutual trust among the greatest Powers; they must act in harmony, the lack of which may seriously prejudice tlie peace for years to come.