HUGE EXPENDITURE

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 November 1946, Page 7

HUGE EXPENDITURE

BUDGET FOR UNO CRITICISED AMERICA’S BIG SHARE (Rec. 12.15 p.m.) NEW YORK, Nov. 1. “Let’s not bankrupt peace” exclaimed Senator Vandenberg (United States) when Mr. Trygve Lie, Secretary-General, submitted the 1947 budget for the United Nations Organisation showing an estimated expenditure totalling 23,790,000 dollars, which is 4,000,000 dollars higher than for 1946. Senator Vandenberg warned that premature expansion of the United Nations might cause retrogression to a point where no peace-loving nation could afford to belong. He added: “Peace is worth whatever it may cost,” but he cautioned against extravagant and useless expenditures, which could spell the United Nations’ unwitting destruction. Senator Vandenberg, objected to the budget proposals allocating half of the cost to the United States. He said “proud as we are of our economic system we cannot accept as valid the flattering economic concept whereby 5 per cent of the world’s population control 50 per cent of the world’s wealth.” Senator Vandenberg said the United States was willing to pay 25 per cent. He considered that to burden any State with more would to tempt that State to seek special privileges. A nation paying half would soon want half the authority. Senator Vandenberg emphasised that he was referring only to the administrative budget and added that the United States might be inclined to pay one-third of the cost of the opera-, tional budgets such as that of the refugee organisation. Dr. Hsia (China) supported Senator Vandenberg.