UNO SITE NOT DECIDED

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24799, 13 February 1946, Page 8

UNO SITE NOT DECIDED

FURTHER COMMITTEE DISCUSSIONS

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) (Req. 10 p.m.) LONDON, February 12. By 22 votes to 17 the UNO permanent headquarters site committee adopted a Netherlands resolution, incorporating a Canadian and Polish amendment, meaning that the United Nations’ ultimate permanent home will not be decided until later in the year, though the general region of the east coast of America is more or less agreed upon. The question of a temporary, site is not yet decided. The Netherlands resolution; about the UNO site proposes approval of the . interim committee’s report, embodying the inspection group’s recommendation in favour - of the Stamford-Greenwich area (in Connecticut, 30 miles northeast of New York city), subject to a planning commission making an exhaustive study of the area and making recommendations to the next Assembly about the exact location to be selected. The resolution also provides for the drawing up of plans based on assumptions that the United Nations would require approximately two, five, 10, 20, or 40 square miles, with details in each case about acquiring land. and buildings within those areas. The Canadian amendment to extend the area to be studied to the Westchester (New York) and Fairfield (Connecticut) regions was accepted, and also a Polish amendment stipulating that, if passed, the resolution would not impose financial obligations on members and that the Assembly would remain free to decide the question at its September session. When the vote was taken there were four abstentions, one was the United States.

During the discussion, Mr Hodgson (Australia), maintaining that the interim committee, through the inspection group, had not given due and equitable consideration to all the invitations from the United States as required, said that protests were now flooding in from many parts against both the selection of. the StamfordGreenwich area and the lack of consideration to invitations from other centres.

Dr. Lopez (Philippines) picturesquely argued that UNO, for its own dignity if for . nothing else, should not impose itself on a site and community where it was not wanted. UNO’s respect for other people’s opinions should persuade delegates to seek a site elsewhere, where they were welcome. He opposed steam-roller tactics which might lead to delegates being received at Greenwich by pickets and placards reading, “We don’t want you.”