PRICE OF PEACE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21923, 18 January 1946, Page 3

PRICE OF PEACE

UNO’S COST SMALL

NATIONS MUST SHARE ADDRESS BY MR BEVIN (10 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 17. “It is clear that however much the world may spend on making this organisation effective, it is a very small sum compared with the terrible cost of war.” This statement was made by the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Ernest Bevin, in a speech before the United Nations’ Assembiy. “According to an estimate I have heard the cost per annum of the United Nations to all 51 nations will be less than half the cost to the United Kingdom alone of a single day in the war just ended. Efficiently supported by liberality is the watchword we offer to the administration of the United Nations.”

Mr. Bevin expressed the thanks of the Government to the executive committee for the work it had done m the last four months. The organisation of the Assembly and Council comrni.itee's stiucture and rules of procedure represented a triumph of detailed organisation by the executive committee.

Creation of Secretariat

“They set a good example to the Assembly and the various organisations now being created under its auspices,” he declared. “One proposal we regard as of particular importance is the establishment of an international secretariat, com pletel.v independent of Governments and also an international civil service commission. If the work of this civil service commission is done thoroughly, the organisation will have at its disposal a staff with a high standard of honour and international outlook. The way in which this organisation is administered will, in a large measure effect the confidence which the peoples of the world repose in it.’ It was essential that the budgetary procedure should be extremely thorough. There should be no niggardliness which would frustrate or hinder development, but, on the other hand financial control must be such as to give confidence in administration by the treasuries of the contributing Governments. „ Mr. Bevin, as a member of Britain's war Government, said he had seen a gradual evolution from talks and conferences to the present meeting. Conceived in War’s Dark Days

“This great gathering of nations, brought to birth in the dawn of peace, is the vision and hope conceived ill the darkest days of the war,” ha said. The meetings between the British and American Governments led to the proclamation of the Atlantic Ci after. Next, in Moscow, there was the meeting which issued the iechmation on general security. Mr. Bevin, after referring to the Dumbarton Oaks conference, said: “There, it would be accurate to say, this organisation has been hammered out and shaped in the very heat and din of battle—a clear sign to the world that, while this titanic struggle to preserve liberty was going on and our minds were still concentrated on the defeat of the enemy, hope was alive that, even yet, despite past failures we might find a way to create a world organisation that would allow the peoples of the world to live fearless in freedom and peace.” Coincident with that development there were others created to deal with human welfare and the foundations were laid for food and agricultural organisation at Bretton Woods, educational, scientific and cultural organisation and provisional international civil aviation organisation.