SOVIET LEAVES U.N. AGENCY

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25732, 18 February 1949, Page 7

SOVIET LEAVES U.N. AGENCY

Organisation For World Health TWO ASSOCIATES GO WITH HER (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) ~ LONDON, February 16. The Soviet Union, the Ukraine and w^.iH r^ Sla i + u h^Y e resi S ne d from the World Health Organisation, one of the tt -^ P j C 1? T lis . ed agencies set up by the United Nations,” says correspondent in Geneva. o 2 r ‘ Brook Chisholm, executive head or the organisation, said that the three governments had announced their resignations in similarly worded telegrams. They had complained that tasks connected with international measures for the prevention and contro* J • lsease . and with the spread of medical science achievements are not peing accomplished satisfactorily by the organisation.’

Dr. Chisholm said he had refused to accept the resignations and had demanded that the three Governments submit them to the executive board of the organisation, which will meet at Geneva or) February 21. . was tQ o early, he said, to criticise the organisation after only four months of organisational work in 1948 and a few weeks in 1949. He had sent a telegram to all member governments seeking concerted action to persuade the three members to reconsider their decision.”

.TLe Geneva correspondent of the Daily Herald” says that the messages of resignation also complained tnat the swollen administrative machinery involves expenses too ne ay y for member States to bear.” The correspondent adds that this years contribution from the three Soviet republics towards the organisation s £1,000,000 budget should have been £87,500, but it has not been paid; in fact, Russia ha s never paid her subscription. Britain’s contribution is £133,000. United Nations officials at Lake Success said tq-day that they regarded the Russian withdrawal with serious contbey d ’ d n °t appear to feel tnat it portended a Russian withdrawal United Nations itself. The Secretary-General of the United Nations (Mr Trygve Lie) is said to' be greatly perturbed over the development.

The World Health Organisation is one of the principal specialised agencies of the United Nations, and the only one to which Russia has belonged.