MAIN HOPE OF WORLD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 79, 13 January 1949, Page 5

MAIN HOPE OF WORLD

FAITH IN UNITED NATIONS Dr Evatt Reviews its Record (N Z.P.A. —Gopyriehtl (Rec. 11.10 a.m.) PERTH, Tins Day. Faith in the United Nations organisation as “the main hope of the peoples of the world in establishing peace based on justice and the necessity for high standards of living,” was expressed at Fremantle by Dr. A. V. Evatt (Minister for External Affairs) on his return from Britain by the liner Dominion Monarch.

Dr. Evatt said that the records of the Organisation was one of steady achievement, despite many obstacles arising outside the organisation. The accomplishments of the General Assembly were considerable, especially in view of the Berlin crisis.

On the political side the Assembly insisted that within the framework of United Nations search for greater agreement on atomic energy between Russia and the Western Powers should be continued. Concerning disarmament a middle course was taken between two extremes and work would be continued to find a basis for the future limitation of armaments.

. As the leading Pacific Power, Australia was invited to join the United States and China in sponsoring important decisions to continue democratising Korea. Concerning Greece and the Balkans, the Assembly at Australia’s initiative had laid far greater emphasis. upon conciliation, and the committee, or which he was chairman, had obtained a very large measure of agreement in relation to frontier disputes. v Great attention should be devoted t*o advances made on the social and economic side of the Assembly’s work. The continuation of United Nations’ appeal for children was accomplished through Australian intervention. The adoption by the Assembly of the universal declaration of human rights would exercise an enormous influence on the history of the world. These instances illustrated the increasing success of United Nations Assembly. The League of Nations was not able to prevent the second world war, largely because- the Governments comprising the League failed to give it sufficient support. All peoples must consistently support United Nations. Its critics included some who were honestly dissatisfied with the existing organisation but they also included many who had let down the League of Nations and who were impressed by the baneful influence of Hitlerism and Fascism. Despite setbacks arising in large part from unrestricted veto in the Security Council and from the Great Powers’ decision to exclude other belligerents from making peace, United Nations was gradually winning its way. His own opinion waa that without the intervention of the United Nations the crucial international situation of the last two years might easily have resulted in another world war. As it was, there was no nation in the' world so great that it dared ignore the expressed will of United Nations, just as there was no nation so email that it could not contribute to the practical successes of the organisation.