UNO ASSEMBLY CLOSES

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24802, 16 February 1946, Page 7

UNO ASSEMBLY CLOSES

CONFIDENCE OF THE PRESIDENT

“GENUINE DESIRE FOR FRIENDSHIP ” (N.£. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 5.5 p.m.) ' LONDON, Feb. 15. All 51 delegates to the General Assembly of the United Nations had been imbued with a genuine desire for cooperation and friendship and because of those feelings the Assembly had succeeded, said the President (Mr Paul Spaak) at the closing session. Delegates could send out a message of confidence and optimism. The Secretary-General (Mr Trygve Lie) said the Parliament of Man might still be a dream, but in the General Assembly they had established a truly democratic forum for free, open discussion on the great international and economic problems confronting them. It would be unreasonable to expect that a democratic world assembly would not suffer growing pains, but “ours, I feel, have not been excessive.” The applause lasted nearly a minute when the President Called on the British Prime Minister (Mr Attlee) to go to the rostrum.

“We have reached jthe end of this long, momentous first meeting of the United Nations, and delegates are now dispersing until We meet again in September,” said Mr Attlee. “Great progress has been made, and perhaps it is well there should now be an interval of some duration before we meet again. “The United Nations has now been placed on a firm basis. The results already achieved show that the Preparatory Commission’s work was well done. Public Discussion “World affairs have been discussed publicly. This, to my mind, is the United Nations’ most important function. People have been enlightened. There has been freedom of comment and therefore the force of public opinion has been brought to bear on delegates. Many great problems have been dealt with and m many instances the first steps to a solution have been taken.” Mr Attlee said every member of the United Nations, great and small, had the opportunity of stating its opinion on important matters in which it was vitally interested. It was hot surprising that difficult technical problems of procedure had arisen, but the rules had worked well. The spirit of the association was more important than the technicalities.

The General Assembly yesterday passed swiftly through the .remaining items on the agenda. Large crowds witnessed the closing scene. The public and distinguished visitors’ galleries were crowded and delegates filled the main hall.