GREAT POWERS AND UNO

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24814, 2 March 1946, Page 7

GREAT POWERS AND UNO

American Point Of View

SPEECH BY MR BYRNES Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 7.30 pjn.) NEW YORK, Feb. 28. “Present power relationships preclude the domination of the world by any one of the great Powers,” said the American Secretary of State (Mr J. F. Byrnes), in an address to the Overseas Press Club. “Those relationships cannot be substantially altered by the unilateral action of any one great State without profoundly disturbing the United Nations’ whole structure. ‘‘We must'face the fact that to preserve the United Nations we cannot be indifferent, veto or no veto, to serious controversies between any of the Great Powers, because such controversies could affect the whole power relationship among all the great Powers. “The wish of the United States is to maintain friendly relations with all nations and exclusive arrangements with none. There are many problems which concern two or three of us more than others. Therefore I see no objection to a conference of the Big Three, the Big Four, or the Big Five, but in such conferences we shall gang up against no State. We shall do nothing to break the world into exclusive blocs or spheres of influence. In this atomic age we shall not seek to divide the world, which is one and indivisible. , Friendship with Russia “We have openly, gladly, and whole? heartedly welcomed our Soviet ally as a great Power, second to none in the United Nations’ famiy. Only an in? excusable tragedy of errors could cause a serious conflict between us in future. In spite of differences in our way of life our people admire and respect our Allies ana wish to continue fjiends and partners in a world of expanding and rising living standards, but in the interest of. world peace we must make it plain that the United States intends to defend the Charter. We will not, we capnot, stand aloof jt force or threat of force is used contrary to the Charter’s principles. “If we are to be a Great Power we must act as a great Power, not only to ensure our own security but to preserve the peace of the world. Much as we desire general disarmament and the reduction of armaments, we cannot be faithful to our obligations, to ourselves, and to the world if we alone disarm. We must be able and ready to provide armed contingents on short notice. We must have a trained citizenry to supplement armed coni ingents. Therefore we must have some form of universal military train? ipg. We need not fear misuse of our armed forces unless we distrust the people’s representatives. Occupation Period

“We have no right to hold our troops in the territories of other sovereign States without their free approval and consent. We must not uii-i duly prolong the makmg of peace and continue to impose our troops upon small, impoverished States, “No Power has the right to help it? self to alleged enemy properties in liberated or former satellite countries before the reparation settlement js agreed to by the Allies. We have not agreed and will npt agree to any one Power deciding for itself what it will take from these countries. “We must not conduct a war of nerves to achieve our strategic ends. Great States and small States must work together to build a more friendly and happier world. If we fail to work together there can be no peace, no comfort, and little hope for any of us.”