UNCIO DEBATES

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 May 1945, Page 6

UNCIO DEBATES

INTERNATIONAL TRUSTEESHIPS

POINTS OF DIFFERENCE

SAN FRANCISCO, May 8. The UNCIO’s Executive Committee agreed that vital, decisions by tne plenary sessions, the commissions and the committees be made by two thirds majority, says a United Press correspondent. The Committee has approved this proposal, which is now subject to ratification by a plenary session. The Big Five discussed international trusteeships. It is reported they found the following major points or difference, arising, primarily, from the conflicting British and American viewpoints:— , . . (1) Whether the country administering a dependent territory should be allowed to impose its own dconomis rules, or whether, as the Americans desire, all countries should be treated to the same economic relations with the area under guardianship. , „ (2) Whether the Social Economic Council would deal with the trusteeships, as the British propose, or the General Assembly should assume die task, as the Americans suggest. (3) Whether there should be separate types of administration for strategic and non-strategic areas, as the Americans urge, or only one, as the British propose., (4) Whether the World Organisation should be allowed to investigate the administration of the trusteeships as desired by the United Stales. The Associated Press says: The Latin-American Republican delegates are organising a movement to gam. recognition in the World Organisation "for the inter-Ameriean security system embodied in the Act of Chapultcpcc. Sixteen Lutin-American representatives, alter a meeting, expressed their firm opposition to compromising on what they consider is the American Republics’ right to settle their disputes in their own hemisphere without awaiting the World Organisation's approval, and even without the United States, whose delegation is split on this issue. The Latin-Americans have a bloc of 20 votes. Some of the United States delegates support the LatmAmericans'' contention that, they should be free to use force without any world agency’s consent. Others consider that European nations could band together and similar rights, thus impairing the World Organisation’s effectiveness.

COMPROMISE PROPOSED

SAN FRANCISCO, May 9

The United States to-night offered Britain, Russia, China and Franco a formula for relating the PanAmerican security system to the new World Organisation, says the “New Work Times’s” correspondent, James Reston. “There is every indication that the problem will be solved soon". The formula provides that the Security Council shall authorise the Pan-American system to deal with its own disputes until the Security Organisation is charged by States concerned with primary responsibility for dealing with western hemisphere disputes. If a dispute endangered peace in other areas, the World Security Council alone would deal with it. Tills more polite formula would have the same effect as a direct prohibition. Some members of the United "States delegation are still opposed to the Security Council dealing with western disputes in this hemisphere. They feel that the Council’s authority should be restricted as little as possible, but. jaresspre from the Latin-American republics and from the United States Senate for some independence in 'dealing with western hemisphere disputes are expected to result in the acceptance of the formula. Mr. Molotov, Mr. Harriman and Sir A. Clark-Kerr are leaving for Moscow to-day with the Polish problem unsolved. Mr. Gromyko will now lead the Soviet delegation at UNCIO. General Juin, French Chief of Staff, is leaving for Paris to-day to direct French occupation of part of Germany.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 9. Mr Molotov returned to Moscow by plane.

WILSON AND LEAGUE

SAN. FRANCISCO, May 8

Eleanor Wilson McAdoo, daughter of the former President, Woodrow Wilson, to-day revealed that her father on his death bed said that it was right that the United States had not joined the League of Nations. He said: "It would have been a great personal victory if it had joined when I asked, but it would not have worked because deep in their hearts Americans did not bolieve in if/’ Mrs. McAdoo, who is in San Francisco as a radio correspondent, said I hat she rm ealed this family secret because it seemed the right moment to bridge the gap between the two world Avars.

SLOW PROGRESS

NEW ZEALAND ACTIVITIES

(Official News Service)

SAN FRANCISCO, May 8

The United Nations’ Conference on International Organisation, now entering its third week, is greatly different in setting from the theatrical colour spectacle and oratory in which the public saw it during the first few days. The scene is no longer the floodlit Opera House-with red plush scats, blue rostrum and golden pillars of freedom. To-day, delegates in limousines and army sedans pull up in front of the neighbouring y et ~ erans’ building and representatives of the United Nations disappear each morning and afternoon through swing doors into elevators, then into rooms whence the public are strictly barred. A new system of world security is being worked out in, comparative secrecy. The Press and public are given progress reports by the chairman of the 12 committees of the four commissions, among whom the task of examining the- Dumbarton Oaks and Yalta proposals and amendments to them have been divided. Little has been told of their progress—because there has been little to tell. Their real work has been disappointingly slow in starting.

Until to-night it has been held up for two main reasons. Firstly, the fact that a decision was only reached this morning by the Executive Committee—the 14 delegation chairman. who comprise the highest council of the conference—on the critical question of how the committees should vote. Secondly, the fact that so great was the flood of amendments submitted by the time deadline was reached at midnight on Friday, that there has not been time for all the delegations to examine them fully for points of coincidence and difference with their own policies. The New Zealand delegation for one, however, largely overcame this-second difficulty by spending the entire weekend. with meetings among their own members lasting tar into each night, studying the amendments as they came flowing in from the overworked conference secretariat. By Monday Mr. Fraser and Mr. Berendsen were in a position to partake of what they hoped would be the first discussions by the committees on the actual proposals and the dozens of suggested amendments. However, yesterday’s committee meetings ended without real progress in that direction.. Chairman after chairman

had nothing to report publicly beyond talks on procedure and it became known the delegates had been reluctant even to begin general discussions on principles until the question of how each committee should take its decisions was resolved. In two of the very few instances in which a start was attempted the New Zealand representatives were able to guide the discussion on to their own amendments. In the committee dealing with political and security functions of the proposed general assembly, Mr. Fraser made a preliminary statement on New Zealand’s case for enlargement of the powers of the assembly and lor its right “to consider any matter within the sphere of international relations." Similarly, at a meeting of the committee dealing with preamble purposes and principles of charter, Mr. Berendscn found opportunity to state in a preliminary way the arguments for embodying in the charter a clear, positive pledge against aggression. The brief discussions that took place around these points fell far short of being complete examinations of the proposals and no votes could te taken, out they served the text in part, at least feeling other delegations. The way seemed clear to-night, however, for an earnest beginning of .the committees’ ■ business, with • the announcement that ' the Executive and steering committees had agreed that voting be decided by two-thirds majority. Other matters on which the committees awaited guidance were clarified, and it is apparent it now rests with the delegates themselves to make progress in the task of drafting the charter of the new world organisation.

BATTLE RECORD. ~SYDNEY, May 9. The R.A.A.F. has been represented in the final European battle by 20,000 men. In the European war zone

alone, the A.I.F. suffered nearly 19,000 casualties, and the R.A.A.F. 10,000. Men and ships of the Australian Navy have fought in almost every major sea action in the war.