Bitter Attack On “U.N. Justice”

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28157, 21 December 1956, Page 13

Bitter Attack On “U.N. Justice”

(Rec. 8 p.m.) NEW YORK. Dec. 19. A bitter attack on the United Nations handling of international problems is made in a magazine article published today by Mr Paul HenriSpaak. the Belgian Foreign Minister find soon to become Secretary-General of NATO. In the article in the quarterly "Foreign Affairs.” Mr Spaak. the first President of the United Nations General Assembly, said that the United Nations “never C' me so near the brink of failure” as in recent weeks, and that the brand of justice it has meted out to Britain. France and Egypt over the Suez Canal was “nothing but a caricature.” He exoresses the fear that “ih an organisation where impartiality is supposed to be the rule, power or cynicism has actually carried the day. “Although the United Nations has. ♦o a certain extent, prevented war. I fear—much as I should like to be mistaken—that it is quite incapable of making the right prevail.” writes Mr Spaak. “In the present United Nations setup. everything short of war is allowed. Treaties may be violated, promises can be broken, a nation is licensed to menace its neighbours, or to perpetrate any sort of trick on it. just So ..r£ as there is no actual war. “The attitude of Egypt during the last few months is a case in point. While Egypt denied transit through

the Suez Canal to Israeli ships, sent death commandos on to Israeli soil, violated the Treaty of Constantinople, sent arms to be used against the French in Algeria and made preparations to attack its neighbour, the United Nations was powerless to intervene. "Such intervention would not come within the scope of the Charter as at present interpreted. “But let Israel in desperation send troops into the Sinai Peninsula and let British and French forces land at Port Said, and they are sure to be condemned. , . “Meanwhile, those who were looking on impassively at the brutal repression of the revolt in Hungary could not find words harsh enough to damn them. Nothing But Caricature “This brand of justice. I repeat, is nothing but a caricature. Such an interpretation of principles amounts to rewarding any nation which is audacious enough to accomplish the most reprehensible act, but which very cleverly stops short, not of violence, but of open war. “This state of things cannot endure. It is high tifne to modify the Charter, to abolish the veto, to make for responsible voting, to decree that violators of international law shall be excluded. ipso facto, from the organisation, and to set up a real international army.”