VITAL DISPUTE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21922, 17 January 1946, Page 5

VITAL DISPUTE

PERSIA AND SOVIET MOVES AWAITED POST OF SECRETARY FUTURE OF MANDATES (Special Correspondent.) Yll am.) LONDON, Jan. 16 Three subjects of general ir l terf L S are engaging the attention of th United Nations’ Organisation as « nears the end of its first week. The first is whether Persia will ask the Security Council to consider the facts of her (Jispute with Russia about the province of Azerbaijan. ~ The second is the question of whether the Security Council will choose the Secretary-General at its present session or delay the choice until the second part of the session. , V The third is the future of mandated territories on which South Africa holds a differing viewpoint from Britain. The most important of the three is the Azerbaijan dispute which arose when Russia refused to allow the Persian Government to send troops into the province, which is in the Russian zone to deal with a home-rule revolt. Since then Tabriz, which is the provincial capital, has been occupied by the home rulers and a new Government has been established. Diplomats May Be Active At the Moscow conference, Russia rejected a proposal that a three-Power conference should investigate. Because at this early stage of UNO’s life it is not desired to test the organisation too severely, intense efforts, it is reported, are being made to settle the dispute outside the Security Council. It does not follow that if the dispute is discussed by the council any action will be taken. Russia can apply the power of veto under the terms of the Charter. If the veto is applied now, it is felt that the future of UNO might seriously be affected. It is unlikely that the council will meet until after the arrival of M. Vishinsky, who will lead the Russian delegation. The possibilities that Mr. Bevin, Mr. Byrnes and M. Vishinsky may be able to settle the dispute outside the council or that a new Persian Government can be formed that will be more favourable to Russia are being discussed here. Secretary-General’s Choice The probability, it is understood, is that the appointment of the SecretaryGeneral may be postponed since so far it has not bedn possible to agree on a man who would be acceptable to all the big Powers. Again, there must be unanimous agreement between them. The Russian candidate is M. Stanoic Simich, Yugoslav Ambassador to Washington, but there is little support for this nomination. Mr. Lester Pearson. Canadian Ambassador to Washington, appears to have the support of Britain and America, while the names of General Eisenhower and Mr. Anthony _ Eden have also been mentioned. It is said that Russia’s determination to put up a rival candidate is mainly due to her opposition to the choice of somebody closely associated with the United States.

Neither Britain nor America are enthusiastic about the Russian suggestion to delay the election until the second halt of this first session. Britain’s Proposition On the subject of mandates, Mr. Bevin is expected to state in his speech to-morrow that Britain will agree to the handing over of mandated territories to the Trusteeship Council on the understanding that she remains the administering Power. The exception will be Palestine, on which Britain prefers judgment should be reserved until the report of the British-American committee of inquiry is received. Britain also thinks that Transjordan should now become an independent State. South Africa is adopting a different attitude as regards South-west Africa, formerly German West Africa. She is not prepared to hand over the mandate on the grounds that the people there have expressed a wish that it should be incorporated in the Union as a fifth State. New Zealand, of course, has agreed to transfer Samoa to the council while, like Britain, retaining her administering authority. Any arrangements regarding future mandates will have to be mutually agreed by the mandatory Power and UNO.