WORLD PEACE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25030, 12 November 1946, Page 6

WORLD PEACE

“No Basis For Gipon. Views” ? MR MASON BACK FROM PARIS <P While it was A too I S'uchto eipUk future to be free from difficultly was no basis for gloomy view? world peace, said the Attornev (the Iten. H. G. R. Mason) on turn to New Zealand to-dav leading the Dominion delegating Paris Peace Conference. The ter, who was accompanied hv Mason, travelled from England V “I feel that reports of the ence have ■ given a wrong imnrSd as to the emotions of the deCTP* Mr Mason said. “The strong iiwSy 11 of divergent views does not imS?? feeling or lack of self-control f k. ll1 ’ that may not be sufficiently ’iS a W and as to which there may apprehension on reading cablXi® 18 ' ports. I observed occasions wher7<ii«’ culties that involved prolonged cussion were more apparent than Jr* Mr Mason said he went to ference with a full realisation of it difficulties involved, and therefmL i* had not the sense of disapnoinJL * which had been expressed in quarters. After discussing the problem taining a two-thirds majority the agreed decision of the Foreign 1S? isters. Mr Mason said the net rS was that the conference could onhS effective where the Ministers come to a decision. The fate of 5? Istrian peninsula below Trieste in? trated one of these problems, tu boundary line agreed upon bv S Council of Foreign Ministers mLt Jugoslavia a coastal strip which essentially Italian in its popuiJ? history and culture, and whose eS* omy and communications wem linked with Trieste. The South if!? can delegate moved to include thixET ritory in the government of TM-X also a town preponderantly Italians such was the influence of the counSi that it was not possible to secure a simple majority on this of justice. “Democracy*’ During the conference the word “ik. mocratic” in various languages used to garnish every propoeitSwi it though the word W’as so fashionabh throughout Europe, it might w&S Lt doubted whether it was understood w the same sense by those nations who until now, had been settling internal governmental problems with the and the gun as it was by those who for centuries had employed peaceful methods. Perhaps the greatest tn> blem faced by the conference was tbs fact that it really was not drafting a treaty, but was submitting recommea. dations to the Council of Foreign Min. isters. Mr Mason added that that fid always seemed to impose a considJ able feeling of restraint upon the dak gates. “Every delegation may not alwni have voted according to its best ju£. ment of the merits of a proposal. Fear of offending one or another of the delegations or countries was most certainly a factor in determining which way a vote might be cast,” said Mr Mason. “The public might have some idea of that factor, but in my opinion its in* fluence was greater than was imagined.” It would be a mistake to think only of the difficulties and disappointment! of the conference, Mr Mason said. There was some good work done, of which the most notable instance was the agreement made as to the southern Tyrol. It was true that this was not made in the conference itself, but it arose out of the conference, and the presence in Paris of the delegates concerned.