Assembly Like Congress Of Vienna

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29316, 22 September 1960, Page 13

Assembly Like Congress Of Vienna

ISpecioUp written jot the N.Z.P-A. bV FRANK OLIVER] NEW YORK, Sept. 20. This is an exciting city in which to live at the moment. This General Assembly is being likened to the Congress of Vienna in its scope and the number of Heads of State now gathered in the enclave which is United Nations headquarters. This assembly may not settie as many problems as were settled at that great gathering a century and a naif ago; but of its supreme importance to the.world there can be no doabt It is important certainly to the Soviet Union. Mr Khrushchev’s presence proclaims that and this importance is underlined when one remembers he wiggled his thumb in the direction of New York and every head of every European Communist State obediently came along. It is an important Assembly, if only because of the admission of new members, which will drastically chance the balance Of the various blocs within the world organisation. But everyone has been wondering why it is important to Mr Khrushchev. There are probably three good reasons: To bulldoze Mr Eisenhower into some form of summit meeting. To make friends and Influence people among the new black nations of Africa. To gain an advantage over Communist China in the struggle

for leadership of the Communist half of the world. This is not necessarily the order of importance and perhaps they are of equal importance. Now the new nations are admitted, the United Nations consists of the Western bloc of 23 nations, the Latin-American bloc of 20, the Afro-Asian bloc of 42, the Soviet bloc of nine and three others—Cyprus. Israel and Jugoslavia. Clearly the importance of the Afro-Asian bloc can scarcely be overrated, for there are many issues on which they are in general agreement and they are all. as far as can be seen now. neutralist Each side in the cold war naturally wants as much support for its policies as can be secured from the Afro-Asians. The West certainly wants none of them to be taken into the Communist orbit and Russia can be relied on to have reciprocal feelings Communist Chinese diplomatic agents are known to be very active among all the new black nations of Africa and Mr Khrushchev is believed to have the double purpose of keeping as many as possible from the Western camp and persuading as many into his orbit as possible to keep them from getting under the wing of Mr Mao Tse-tung. There is no doubt Mr Khrushchev suffered a resounding defeat in the first battle for African support and suffered it before he ever got going. The 70-0 vote in the emergency Assembly In the early hours of Tuesday morning is taken as clear proof that the new nations of Africa and those of the Middle East and the Far East are opposed to Soviet intervention in Africa and that

they are anxious to rely for peace on the United Nations and not on the Soviet Union.

However, the fight is not finished, for there are other ways of gaining influence than those used in the Congo, with Mr Lumumba as the spearhead; but the Russians have lost round one in the Congo and round two in the Assembly, which is as good a start as the West could wish. It is how recognised in Washington that the rift between Peking and Moscow is deeper than American officials thought earlier and that behind the ostensible ideological argument about how to combat the West there is a struggle for power which affects and will affect foreign and domestic policies. It is believed in Washington that Mr Khrushchev has gathered considerable support throughout the Communist world for his stand and that he may now be trying to isolate Peking in order to bring Mr Mao to terms. He will want to be in the strongest possible position when he visits Korea next month should Mr Mao meet him there. Thus, it is believed he will try to secure as much support as may be obtainable from the AfroAsians.

This will make unusually interesting the effort which is bound to be made at this Assembly to get Communist China into the organisation. It is believed that a number of newlyadmitted nations, although not Communist feel Peking should be represented and while the Western position on Peking has not changed, those who count the probable votes think 'this Assembly might contain the necessary 65 votes to get Pekin? aoproved by the Assembly—if there is no veto cast in. the Security Council. Russia’s attitude when the matter ■is raised is awaited with the keenest interest