SMALL POWERS

Grey River Argus, 14 May 1945, Page 5

SMALL POWERS

REBUFFED AT U.N.C.1.0. Big Ones to Boss Council (Received May 13, 8.15 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, May 12. The U.N.C.1.0. Committee on the World Security Organisation, with some nations abstaining, voted to restrict the size of the Security Council to eleven members, five qf which murt be Britain, the United States Russia, China and Fiance. Inis means that the smaller countries have been rebuffed in their effort to w!n more authority for themselves in thP shaping of a peaceful world. The committee’s vote is refutable by the Commission plenary ses si° n - c J£ e issue could be reopened in the Com mi The delegates of several small nations a?e Sported to have. stated that they may ask for a review, if some of their demands were rejected such as their bids for more power for the General Assembly in advising the Security Council, or. even authority for assembly to reject a Council decision, if necessary. Spokesmen for several countries which have previously urged the enlargement of the Security Council explained that they had reconsidered their attitude, and had supported the Big, Four A correspondent of the New Yoik Times” said: An American formula for dealing with regional security systems will be submitted as an amendment to the Dumbarton Oaks proposals. This formula was presented to-day to the Latin American nations by the Colombian Foreign Minister, Senor Camargo, and later to the other members of the Big -rive by Mr. Stettinius. . Important objections were raised in two of the big Five meetings. The formula. may have to be changed before it is. finally presented to the conference. American delegates express the view, however, that there are no insurmountable difficulties. The I* 1311 } complaint of other nations about the formula is that it would give the American nations some freedom of collective action against an aggressor when this power would not be granted other nations of the world. T’he Committee on Security Council ■has adopted an amendment which Mr. Eden described as most important. It was introduced by the British delegation. It authorises the Security Council not only to recommend procedure to be followed in settling any dispute threatening peace but also gives the Council power, at the request of all parties to a. dispute. to recommend terms of settlement. The Economic Social Committee have voted unanimously to make the Economic Social Committee one of the principal organs of the new world organisation. This change of status 1 is welcomed by many nations, including New Zealand and Australia.

The efforts of the small nations, headed by New Zealand, to participate in the decisions of the Security Council on the use of force, has been successfully . blocked by Britain, America and Russia. At to-day’s meeting of the committee on enforcement arrangements, Mr C.... A. Berendsen argued that the Security Council should be empowered to., act only after obtaining the approval of a simple majority in the General Assembly. “The League of Nations failed because it relied on the pagan principle - of sparing one’s own children by throwing the children of others to the wolves,” ' he said. “At the same time the Covenant’s unanimity rule was its weakness. To overcome that, Dumbarton Oaks has gone’too far in the other direction by establishing the stultifying principle that nations which are not members of the Security Council have not even a choice, let alone a vote, in the decision. The present proposals would bind the smaller Powers for all time to send their sons to die as a result of decisions taken by unknown men in unknown circumstances based on unknown principles.” The Big Three remained adamant on the original Dumbarton Oaks proposals to confine decisions to use force to the Security Council alOne. The nation-wide broadcast, Mr. F. M. Forde, the Australian Deputy .Prime Minister, declared Australia’s. attitude towards two of the principal U.N.C.1.0. issues, those of . regional arrangements and trusteeships. They were ilustrated by the Anzac pact he explained. The Anzac pact was much more than a regional defence agreement. It was designed as part of the framework of the ultimate world security organisation. Furthermore, one 1 * of the principal features of the Anzac pact was its avowal ■of the trusteeship principle, and as outlining the method of advancing the welfare of native peoples. “But we feel that our job has only partly been done if we do not bring other powers—Britain, America, France, and the Netherlands—with Pacific territories into this new deal for the Pacific peoples.' The Anzac Pact, therefore, visualises the establishment of a South Seas Regional Commission, where on we hope all of these powers will be represented.” Officials of the old League of Nations told the Associated Press the League -would almost certainly meet in Geneva within a few 1 months to dissolve, or to . arrange to carry -on after a year or more, pending the transfer of responsibilities to a new organisation. The New York “Post’s” correspondent says: China entered the trusteeship fray with a programme even more advanced than Russia’s. Chinese plan is generally aligned with the American plan, but additional points include (1) independence as wellfas self-government as an objective; Y2) the right to representation in local deliberative or legislative assembles; (3) violation of trusteeship should be a matter of international concern; (4) when the proposed Trust Council is considering any trustee territory, representatives of that territory's people be allowed to sit in. (Received 11.0 p.m. May 13) - SAN FRANCISCO, May 12 A correspondet here of the “New York Herald Tribune” says: There is a point in the American international trusteeship proposals, which is expected to arouse serious British opposition, and also possible support from London and from some of the Dominions. It is a clause which includes among the basic objectives for trusteeships “non - discriminitary treatment in the trustee territories with respect to economic and other appropriate civil activities of the nations of all the member States fof. the United Nations.” British ©position to this is based on the imperial preference policy, which found full expression in Ottawa agreements.. Observers consider some of the Dominions may baulk at the phrase -of . banning trade discrimination: Although they favour trusteeship as- a whole, this will be for non-economic, reasons. Countries like Australia, for example, desire to restrict immigration ,and also control it in favourZof certain races and against others. The Associated Press reports:< The . ■ Committee on the Worldw. Charter have decided that all nations signing • . the Charter will be regarded as ori 7 .<?.; ginal members of the World Orgam-T . sation, thus opening the way for the . admittance of Poland and Denmark. Mr. Eden is going to London to-. via Washington, where me . is to <onte? with Mr. .Truman. x '