NO AGREEMENT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 249, 2 August 1946, Page 3

NO AGREEMENT

DISCUSSIONS BY SECURITY COUNCIL DISQUIET EXPRESSED (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 10.30 a.m.) PARIS, Aug. 1. Disquiet that permanent members of the security Council were unable to agree among themselves on many issues, was expressed by Mr Trygve Lie, SecretaryGeneral, in a report on the activities of the United Nations since the assembly met in London. The veto right, imposed an obligation on those members to seek agreement, he said. He would be failing in his duty if lie - did not emphasise the absolute necessity of their doing so in a spirit of mutual understanding and will to compromise. There was no cause for pessimism, but had the desire of all peoples and Governments to achieve victories of peace been impeded by lack of mutual trust? The United Nations had not captured the imagination harnessed with the enthusiasm of the peoples of the world to a degree which might have been hoped, partly because of the inevitable slowness of the proceedings at this stage.lie regretted that the Trusteeship Council had not yet been established, and warned States administering mandates that unless their reached agreement before the assembly meeting in September there might he another year’s delay. Mr Trygve Lie told journalists that he warned the Paris Conference that the United Nations ' Assembly mustmeet by September 23. Any further postponement would result in grave dislocation.

Mr Lie added that he thought the Paris conference was proceeding satisfactorily.

No Simultaneous Meeting

Mr Lie said the United Nations Assembly and the Paris Conference simply could not meet simultaneously., The peacemakers have 54 days in which to complete their work before the opening of the General Assembly. I am quite sure the end will be good. These men are under pressure from all peoples of the world .to find agreement Leading statesmen of all Allied nations must he present in New York on September 23 if the United Nations is to he a first-class organisation.” He added that it was impossible further to postpone the meeting of the Assembly, as accommodation was reserved for 7000 delegates and staffs, and provisional' agenda had already been distributed to Allied Governments. Many American conventions were cancelled in order to make way for the opening of the Assembly. Mr Lie said that failure of the United Nations would mean the triumph of destruction. The United Nations was not designed to perform the functions of the* peace conference, nor sit as a referee between the Great Powers, hut it. unfortunately, so far had not fulfilled the broad hope's placed in it. Mr Lie complained that a survey showed that the overseas Press had given inadequate coverage to United Nations’ activities, and therefore steps had been taken to establish a number of redistribution information centres.