France Warns U.N. Not To Interfere In Tunisia

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26886, 12 November 1952, Page 9

France Warns U.N. Not To Interfere In Tunisia

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, November 10. The French Foreign Minister (Mr Robert Schuman) told the United Nations General Assembly today that if it interfered in the Tunisian and Moroccan questions, it would be exceeding its powers and France would not take part in any debates on the question. He added that it was, the duty of the Assembly to know how to keep within the limits of its mission and not to take the responsibility of jeopardising a task that France had undertaken in North Africa.

The United Nations was doubly incompetent to deal with these problems, first because of the nature of the treaties which bound France to Tunisia and Morocco, and second because of the United Nations Charter.

The United Nations Organisation had not been given competence to deal in any way. even indirectly, with the revision of treaties. France would make it a “point of honour” to consider obligations entered into under the terms of the Charter everywhere and •at all times, but she would go no further. There were some nations that would ■not be sorry to bring about the expulsion of France from Tunisia and Morocco without much caring what would then happen, said Mr Schuman.

“France will not let herself be ousted. I give a firm and solemn assurance of this in full agreement with the majority of peoples concerned. The latter know better than anyone else that France is absolutely necessary to them and that no-one could effectively take her place.” Mr Schuman said France intended to guide the peoples for whom she had assumed responsibility toward freedom to govern themselves and towards democratic administration of their own affairs. “France will not disavow this mission,” he said. Mr Schuman said France considered it would be a grave and unpardonable error on her part if the territories, still imperfectly developed, for which she was now responsible in varying degrees, should set themselves up as independent States before they were able to meet the heavy responsibilities that would imply.

Danger of Premature Independence

“The dangerous mirage of premature independence, more fictional than real, would endanger not only the legitimate interests of France and others which she has undertaken to guarantee. but the further develonment of territories that we cannot abandon to chance and anarchy.” Supporting in general the French position. Dr. Joseph Luns (the Netherlands Foreign Minister) said countries which administered non-self-governing territories had to be realists and not abandon their responsibilities prematurely.

On the disputed question of competence. Dr. Luns said the United Nations was no superstate nor was it a world government. To assume that might well be the beginning of the end of the United Nations. Dr. Luns said that although the administering Powers which had endorsed the Charter had accepted certain obligations, they had not signed away their own and exclusive authority for the task they had undertaken.