PROPOSED AGENDA FOR U.N.

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25608, 24 September 1948, Page 7

PROPOSED AGENDA FOR U.N.

Eight Soviet Objections Overruled

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 8.30 p.m.) PARIS, September 23. The steering committee of the United Nations General Assembly has recommended the Assembly to consider 65 world problems. Russia at yesterday’s meeting opposed the placing of eight of them on the agenda. The committee completed its work on the agenda, the largest so far, in record time. It decided to postpone the inclusion of lastminute items, including Palestine, the future of the Italian colonics, and the question of a United Nations guard, a matter which has arisen from the assassination of Count Bernadotte. The full Assembly will meet today for general policy statements. It is expected that the United States Secretary of State (General Marshall) will make his opening address to-day.

In spite of South Africa’s objection, it has been decided to keep on the Assembly’s agenda the Indian proposal to discuss the dispute between India and South Africa on the treatment of Indians in South Africa. The leader of the South African delegation (Mr Eric Louw) said that if India’s recommendation were adopted South Africa would have to consider whether it would take part in further discussions on the problem. Mr Louw added that if the item were placed on the agenda a principle would have been adopted which would cause considerable concern among all States jealous of their national sovereignty. and principles would be involved which might affect the continued existence of the United Nations. Admission to U.N. Against strong Russian opposition, the steering committee decided to include on the agenda Argentina’s proposal that the Assembly consider the admission to the United Nations, without further debate, of Italy and other States which obtained seven of the 11 votes in the Security Council. Russia had vetoed in the Security Council the admission of Italy and other proposed States. Mr Vyshinsky (Russia) described the Argentine proposal as a crude violation of the Charter.

The nresldept of the Assembly (Dr. H. V. Evatt) agreed that the Argentine proposal would involve the amending of the Charter, which laid it down that all the Big Five should concur in the Security Council on decisions on any procedural matters. Argentina's proposal would allow the General As-

sembly to vote on the admission of Austria. Finland, Eire, Italy, Portugal. and Transjordan. Mr Vyshinsky said: “So long as the Soviet Union is a member of the United Nations she will fight any attempt to undermine the Charter. Do not attack the Charter if you want to save the United Nations organisation. The United Nations may become disunited nations if the policies of certain countries are followed.”

The committee accepted, by 15 votes to 3, Panama’s proposal to include the item on the agenda.

Mr Vyshinsky then proposed to exclude from the agenda five items concerning Greece, Korea, the veto, the question of establishing a “Little Assembly.” and a report on methods for the promotion of international cooperation in the political field. The committee placed all five on the agenda.

Mr Vyshinsky’s Case Mr Vyshinsky said that the existence of the Balkans Commission was a violation of the Charter, and it had only further embittered relations between Greece and her neighbours. Speaking <>n the proposed inclusion of two reports on Korea. Mr Vyshinsky said that the United Nations had nothing to do with Korea. Russia’s decision to withdraw her occupation force from northern Korea, and the meeting there of a representative assembly. made United Nations intervention even less necessary. Mr Vyshinsky described as "nothing less than an attempt to undermine the United Nations” the Little Assembly's proposal that a minority of the permanent members of the Security Council should exercise the veto only when thev considered a question of vital importance to the United Nations as a whole.

Reuter says that the Jugoslav delegation to the United Nations has refused a request by the Balkan Commission for information about recent events on Greece’s northern borders, and has rejected the commission’s request that Greek guerrillas crossing the border should be disarmed.

The delegation said that it did not recognise the commission because that body “is contrary to the letter and spirit of the Charter and has attempted to give false information concerning the real state of affairs in Greece, where the main cause of disorder is the Greek Government itself and United States intervention.”

The delegation described the request for the disarming of guerrillas as “an attempt to show world opinion that Jugoslavia is not the Charter.”