BRITISH IN SYRIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 February 1946, Page 5

BRITISH IN SYRIA

COUNCIL DEBATES PROCEDURE COMPLAINANTS TO BE HEARD (Rec. 12.55 p.m.> LONDON, February 14. A long and involved discussion on procedure began at this morning’s session of the Security Council, when Mr. Makin, opening the’discussion on the Syria-Lebanon complaint regarding the presence of British troops, suggested that it would be inconvenient at that stage, to decide whether a dispute existed. • Mr. Makin suggested that the Lebanese and Syrian representatives should be heard before the Security Council decided whether a dispute existed, and also that they should be accorded an opportunity of exercising the right of proposal. Mr. Riaz (Egypt) urged that the Council should decide immediately whether it was a dispute or a situation. The question would arise if it were a dispute as to whether or not the State could exercise its right of veto.

Dr. van Kieffens (Holland) suggested that if a member State declared there was a dispute, the Council bound to accept it in the technical sense.

Mr. Bevin supported this view. He said that if the State alleged a dis-, pute existed and the State against which the accusation was levelled repudiated it, then a dispute existed.. Mr. Riaz, replying to Mr. Bevin, pointed out that if members accepted his view, then permanent members could exercise the right of veto in every matter, which was contrary to the letter and spirit of the Charter. Mr. Vyshinsky, in a lengthy argument, agreed with Mr. Bevin. He suggested that the Council should treat the matter as a dispute. The Council, after arguing for 90 minutes, carried by eight votes, a motion by Dr. van Kieffens that no decision should then be taken, and agreed to making a proposal that the Syrian and Lebanese representatives should participate in the discussion. Mr. Alkhoury (Syria) and Hamid Bey Frangie (Lebanon) had just taken their seats and were about to state their case when the Council adjourned until to-morrow.