BIG STEP FORWARD

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21925, 21 January 1946, Page 3

BIG STEP FORWARD

CHARTER OF UNO

assembly debate ends FRENCH MANDATES (9 30 am.) LONDON, Jan. 20. Dr Guillermo Blanck (Cuba), speaking at the United Nations Assembly, said the Charter was a great step forward, but there were still imperfections in it. Cuba had opposedHhe power of veto not because of any distrust of the big nations but because it believed it was against the fundamental principles of democracy.

It had been a great satisfaction to learn that prominent men from otnei parts of the world, some of whom were at San Francisco, had favoured the ve o and now puolicly that 1 should be abolished. M Bidault (France) said there was no responsible statesman who did not feel a universal duty to replace war by durable peace.

“Some noble minds have shown us the road which we now are taking, he said “I salute President Roosevelt who, in the shadow of war. even before peace came, prepared an niternationa. organisation for peace which has now been established. The nresent Charter, unlike the League of Nations pact, is not. linked with peace treaties but precedes them.” Tog-eland and Cameroons

M. Bidault said the French delegation was authorised to state that the French Government proposed to continue to administer the mandated territories of Togoland and the Cameroons under the mandate received from the League of Nations. M. Bidault, admitting that in the spirit of the Charter this mission should henceforth be exercised under trusteeship, said: “The Fre.i- li Government is prep: red to study ilie terms of some agieement which would define the trusteeship of Togoland and the Cameroons."

M. Bidault pointed out how meagrely Europe was represented in the Assembly, and said: “Without mentioning Germany. 13 European States, representing 150,000,000 inhabitants, are not represented in this hall.” Hamid Bey Frangie, Lebanon's Foreign Minister, said: “We,, as an integral part of an important region of the Middle East, intend to maintain friendship and sincere co-operation with all countries in the United Nations. We thereby hope to promote national life and safeguard our own security. Lebanon’s Objectives

“This legitimate ideal cannot be accomplished as long as foreign troops are stationed in our territory. The withdrawal of these troops will be the last step toward the solution of what is called the Levant problem. All our efforts, besides the efforts of our Syrian friends, are directed to this end. which is an essential condition to the development of our. nation. We, however, do not despair that a solution will be found restoring this abnormal situation which will respect our independence and sovereignty.” M. El Khoury (Syria) said he hoped there would be no agreement between the Big Powers at the expense of the small ones. International action of that kind had had its day, he said. The Syrian Government was anxious to see Palestine treated in the same manner as Transjordan,

Turning to the position of Syria and Lebanon, he said that the two great Powers had come to an agreement concerning those countries without the two countries concerned taking part in any way in the discussions. He could not see how that could be in line with the principles of security, as conceived by the Charter.

The Syrian Government had asked their delegation to bring that matter before the United Nations, demanding the withdrawal of foreign troops. War Criminals in Spain

M. Kuzma Kiselev claimed that a number of outstanding war criminals had found shelter in General Franco’s Spain. His delegation proposed that the General Assembly should discuss the question of the surrender and punishment of such war criminals. Byelorussia had a list of 1200 criminals most of whom had not been discovered. The Germans in Byelorussia had destroyed 209 large and small towns including Minsk. 9200 villages, 1136 hospitals. 10FV schools and museums, and ruined 10,000 collective farms.

_M. M. F. Van Langenhavoe (Belgium) announced that his country intended to start negotiations immediately with a view to placing mandated territory under trusteeship. Belgium was prepared to draft an agreement to the effect that, in accordance with the Charter, Belgium would exercise trusteeship. The Assembly's oolitical and security committee will begin on Monday morn-, ing consideration of one of the most important, issues before the Assembly —discussion on a resolution emanating from the recent conference in Moscow providing for the establishment of an atomic energy commission. The Assembly concluded a general debate on the Preparatory Commission’s report and will not hold another plenary session until January 24. Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday will be occupied with meetings of its six main committees.