N.Z. VIEWS ON CONFERENCE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27150, 21 September 1953, Page 9

N.Z. VIEWS ON CONFERENCE

Mr Webb Speaks In U.N.

NEW YORK, September 18. The New Zealand Minister of External Affairs (Mr T. C. Webb) told the United Nations General Assembly today that the Korean political conference offered an excellent opportunity to the Soviet Union to prove by deeds whether it sincerely desired to alleviate world tensions.

Speaking in the general debate, Mr Webb said: “So much depends upon this conference for peace and the welfare of the Pacific and, indeed, elsewhere in the world, and so many hopes turn on its success, that it behoves us all to do everything in pur power to ensure that the conference gets under way at the earliest possible opportunity.” Mr Webb referred to the speech yesterday by the United States Secretary of State' (Mr John Foster Dulles) and his reference to the “disappointments of great numbers of people” in the achievements of the United Nations. Much of this had resulted from high hopes held beyond the bounds of practicality. “We can, I feel, derive satisfaction from the fact that in the case of Korea we have, for the first time, seen an international police force in action,” said Mr Webb. He added: “It is true we have not progressed as far or as fast as many cf us hoped, but our primary objective to repel aggression has been achieved.” . Unification of Korea He disagreed with those who felt that the United Nations decision to seek the unification of Korea by peaceful means was appeasement. This pessimistic conclusion would be justified if the talk about the unification of Korea were no more than a cover for acceptance of the partition of the country. “This is not our view of the spirit of the charter, or of the intentions of the United Nations,” he said. The United Nations had prevented the aggressor from gaining anything from his “breach of world peace,” Mr Webb declared. “Our record to date, therefore, should be sufficient to inspire confidence that our declared aim—the unification and rehabilitation of Korea —will be pursued by us tenaciously though peacefully.” Mr Webb said he would not minimise the grave difficulties ahead or attempt to foretell how they would be overcome. “Above all, I would express the hope that the holding of the political conference on Korea will not be delayed by technicalities, and those endless procedural disputes vfrhich tend to lead only to frustration and despair. “On more than one occasion, back In my own country, I have expressed the view that the democratic nations should be ready at all times to meet conciliation with conciliation, but I regret to say that so far we have not been able to discern much in the way of conciliation from those whose political and ideological conceptions differ so fundamentally from our own. “If we could only have some tangible proof, some convincing evidence of a change of heart rather than merely a change of tactics on their part, we could face the future with greater hopes or, at any rate, less anxiety. a lf it is true that there is a will to peace on the part of the U.S.S.R., if there is a change of heart, now is the time to prove it by deeds. The political conference offers an excellent opportunity for such proof.”