ATLANTIC PACT WILL HELP U.N., SAYS MR. McNEIL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22916, 7 April 1949, Page 5

ATLANTIC PACT WILL HELP U.N., SAYS MR. McNEIL

(N.Z.P.A, —Reuter—Copyright.) (9 a.m.) NEW YORK, April 6,

The Atlantic Pact meant the beginning rather than the end of the United Nations, said Mr. Hector McNeil, the British delegate to the United Nations, addressing the Foreign Press Association last night.

Mr. McNeil admitted that the United Nations had been unable to fulfil its basic tasks “primarily because of the great Power disagreement.” “We cannot pretend to ourselves that it has fulfilled the deep and passionately held hopes of humble men and women that it would, by consent and cooperation, dispel the suspicions lying between us and end such dangerous and unfounded rivalries that separate us,” he continued. Search For Other Means

"Since trust arid good faith did not exist between us and since, consequently, the United Nations seemed incapable of investing itself with the power visualised in the charter, neither the small nations nor the great could, in honesty, commit themselves to this incomplete organisation and the Western Powers were reluctantly driven to search the charter for other means of guaranteeing their safety. "However, long before we had come to this conclusion, the Soviet Govern-

ment made it clear that they themselves were seeking other methods by systematically building up an intricate structure of military agreements with satellite Powers of Eastern Europe.” The Western European nations had. therefore, formed “this impressive joint defence arrangement,” Mr. McNeil added. "This has been a sad choice for all of us. The necessity for it we have accepted reluctantly and slowly. We embarked on it, having made desperate efforts to secure international co-operation.

Underwriting Sector of Peace

“Our failure to secure co-operation on a world-wide basis has compelled us to seek it on a regional basis.

"We have made the beginning of underwriting a sector of world peace and upon this basis those of us who are members of the United Nations expect to become not less efficient members, seeking every opportunity at every level to employ the resources of the United Nations.

“It may be that our examples will be a model and encouragement to others. It may be that, eventually, we may jigsaw the regional patterns into something resembling a whole. “With .the signing of the pact and —as we are confident—its eventual ratification our job begins. “The effort to make it real and effective will be huge. I can see no reason for pessimism about ourselves oi about the future of the United Nations Our signatures on this pact and our determination are proof alike of our will for peace and our ingenuity in securing it. These same characteristics we will contribute as forcibly and perhaps, more directly than previously to the operation of the United Nations.”