U.N.R.R.A. LAGS

Grey River Argus, 16 February 1945, Page 5

U.N.R.R.A. LAGS

FAR EAST NEEDS Conference Opens in N.S.W. (Rec. 9.45) SYDNEY, Feb. 15. A great task of drafting blue prints for relief and rehabilitation of halt the world’s population, officially began to-day when the Far Eastern Committee of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration opened a six-day conference at Lapstone, New South Wales. This first great international gathering m the Pacific theatre of war will have as its main task the consideration of reports and recommendations by five technical sub-committees —Agricultural Rehabilitation, Displaced Persons, Health, Welfare and Industrial Rehabilitation— which have been meeting in Sydney during the past month.

The conference does not possess power to implement. its own decisions which must be submitted for ratification to the supreme body of the U.N.R.R.A. in Washington. Seventy delegates representing nine Governments are attending the Lapstone conference. The chief delegates are: Doctor T. F. Tsiang, of China (chairman), Doctor Evatt (Australia), Sir Raghunath Parnjpye (India), Hon. J. G. Barclay (New Zealand). Mr P. A. Kersten’s (Netherland), Sir Paul Butler (Britain), Mr Abbott L. Moffatt (United States), Doctor Arturo Rotor (Philippines), Doctor Boris Eliacheff (France). Neither Mr Moffatt or Dr Rotor has yet arrived. Mr Moffatt was expected a week ago, but his whereabouts is a mystery, and Washington has been asked to trace him. Russia is not a member of the U.N.R.R.A., as she is not at war with Japan. Her interest in the Lapstone conference is shown by the presence of a member of the Tass Official Soviet News Agency. The hope that U.N.R.R.A. would approach reconstruction problems in the Pacific realistically to ensure action, rather than speeches and resolutions, *was expressed by Dr Tsiang, opening the conference. "The eyes of the world are on U.N.R.R.A.” said Dr Evatt (Australian Minister of External Affairs). “It remains to be demonstrated whether the nations are prepared to treat with urgency and despatch the problem of the relief and rehabilitation of liberated territories. Indeed, something of a crisis is emerging in relation to U.N.R.R.A.’s affairs and functions. It must be admitted by any candid observer that there are signs of frustration and of disillusionment. This is due to. the fact that, despite much elaborate -organisation, the U.N.R.R.A. has not yet functioned to any extent in actual work in relief of rehabilitation in Europe. Doubts have arisen whether U.N.R.R.A. will perform all the duties intended under the terms of its charter.” Dr Evatt recalled the words of Mr Richard Law, British member of the U.N.R.R'.A. Council, at Montreal last September, when he said that, in many ways the work of U.N.R.R.A. was clouded with a kind of fog of unreality, and that unless this was dissipated and swept away, it would have been better if the great idea of U.N.R.R.A. never had been conceived. These words constituted a- grave warning, added Dr Evatt, and the Lapstone conference, in addition to taking action for relief and rehabilitation in this part of the world, must not overlook the crisis in U.N.R-R.A.’s policy and organisation as they affect this side of the world, and must decide what could be done to correct them. For instance, there was need for a far greater decentralisation, and there would be no hope for U.N.R.R.A.’s success in the Far East if matters which could fairly be de-. cided locally had been referred to the central office fox’ decision.