HEATED WORDS

Evening Star, Issue 25701, 26 January 1946, Page 7

HEATED WORDS

MR FRASER AND M. GROMYKO VERBAL CLASH IN U.N.O. GENERAL COMMITTEE LONDON, January 24. " I throw this back into your teeth," said Mr Peter Fraser (New Zealand) when M. Gromyko (Russia) suggested during a meeting of the General Committee of the United Nations Assembly, that Mr Fraser seemed to be against the World Trade Union movement. The committee was debating a resolution offering the World Federation of Trade Unions guest status in Assembly meetings. Mr Fraser challenged M. Gromyko during a verbal exchange, in which M. Gromyko. Mr Fraser, and M. Spaak, who is the committee's chairman, appeared to be not sure as to who were arguing with whom. First, M. Spaak proposed that the five-hour discussion should be brought to an end with an immediate vote. M. Gromyko disagreed, and said that he wanted an explanation of the phraseology of the resolution, which was prepared by a sub-committee and submitted to the meeting by Mr Fraser. " Unless we get a resolution in which M. Gromyko approves of every dot and comma, he is not satisfied," said Mr Fraser. M. Spaak reiterated that the matter should be finished, and said that he wanted an agreement at that moment. At this, Mr Fraser jumped up and denied the right of the chair to join in the discussion. M. Gromyko dropped the argument with M. Spaak, turned on Mr Fraser, and defended;M. Spaak. He said that one must have an opportunity of saying more' than " yes " or " no.' He added that Mr Fraser appeared to be against the trade union movement. Mr Fraser, red in the face, rapped on the table, leaned toward M. Gromyko, who was only about two paces distant, and said M. Gromyko appeared to believe he was the only saviour of the trade unions, and that everyone who' did not agree with him was against the trade unions. " I throw it back in your teeth," he exclaimed. M. Gromyko remained apparently calm and unruffled, and said that Mr Fraser's methods were far from wise. He added: "I throw it back to Mr Fraser." Mr Fraser: I resent anybody putting me in the category which M. Gromyko has suggested. M. Spaak: The incident is closed. Mr Fraser: I don't care what anybody says, I leave it to my country to judge what I say, and to M. Gromyko's country to judge what he says. M. Spaak again tried to close the incident. M. Maniulsky rose and endeavoured to smooth over the difficulty, M. Spaak interrupting: " The incident is closed. We have enough difficulties at the moment. We do not wish to have any personal incidents." Senator T. Connally (United States): I want the fullest discussion. When M. Gromyko agreed with Senatcfr Connally, M. Spaak _ relieved the tension and caused a ripple of laughter when he said: " This is the first time any two delegates have been in agreement. I agree, too." The committee adjourned, leaving the question of the status of the World Federation of Trade Unions undecided, with the sub-committee instructed to redraft. the resolution. During the discussion, Senator Connally, who condemned the draft resolution's proposals, emphasised that this was the United Nations Organisation, not the United Unions Organisation. He did not want to have to go back and report that, before they even became organised, the nature of the organisation had been changed. The Charter was their law, and he was not going to violate it. The British delegate, Mr Noelßaker, said that if tliey granted a privilege to the World Federation of Trade Unions they would certainly have to grant it to other organisations. He said that other powerful organisations had, in fact, applied for the same kind of privilege.