The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, February 15, 1946. MR FRASER’S DEFENCE OF LIBERTY.

Grey River Argus, 15 February 1946, Page 4

The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, February 15, 1946. MR FRASER’S DEFENCE OF LIBERTY.

Considering he represents comparatively a small, country, no statesman since the war has gained in stature upon the stage of world politics more than Mr Fraser. The mere fact that he has on. occasion crossed swords with the delegates of far greater countries is not the explanation of his prominence, but rather it is his grasp of fundamentals and his fidelity to democratic and humane principles. There will be some to suggest that he might have agreed to the exclusion of all but oncnrganisation of working class representatives from any status in relation to the United Nations, because the organisation which alone the Soviet delegation wished to admit could be regarded as representing all workers Air Fraser rightly pointed out, however, that, while U.N. O. is nowise a class organisation, and therefore could neve]’ treat any class, society or movement as a country, it is designed eventually to include every country. If consultative or advisory privileges were to be accorded any section other than a sovereign State, he contended, such a privilege could not reasonably be limited to a single organisation. That is a democratic stand, because if democracy means anything, it means the protection of'individual rights equally with that of majority or collective rights. No doubt, collective interests are the ones which U.N.O. primarily is meant to promote, and in so doing it must, when making decisions, draw distinctions between lesser and greater goods. Nevertheless it cannot Jose sight of any factor or principle calculated to protect human liberty and to promote human welfare. It cannot, for instance, afford to be merely yeutral when the point at issue is one of morals, any more than when it is a point of power, of politics, or of responsibilities. The Assembly has just made a gesture for the nations to combine to combat the famine threatening so many millions in Europe and Asia, and .no greater nor worthier objective could be imagined. On the other hand, the Assembly has just been discussing the problem of the refugees, especially the uprooted ones whose cases arc comparatively individual, and whose problem is that they do not wish forcibly to be transported to. a realm where the present regime docs not possess their respect, but where it would be apt to treat them as enemies. Mr Fraser took upon this issue a most worthy stand. He said that U.N.O. could not afford to tolerate tyranny, and hence could not agree that refugees who have fought Axis tyranny during the war must now be compelled to return to countries where they would receive no quarter from regimes which have displaced.the ones under which they went into the struggle for European liberty. In centuries past men acclaimed universally as democrats have had to seek asylum abroad when failing in their own lands in a struggle against autoh racy. In the United "States especially, but in many a democratic country, such fighters for freedom have found a home. There is no. need to hearken back to the Pilgrim 'Fathers to illustrate this point, for in Europe to-day there, are hundreds of thousands of refugees who are convinced it is more than their liberty is worth to return to the land of their birth and the land for which they have honestly fought. The Poles arc by no means the only refugees in . this category. Dlr Fraser repudiated the idea that any such refugees who may remain abroad should be Maced in camps' under the subjection of representatives of the very regimes in fear of whom the refugees refuse to return to their homelands Mr Fraser remarked:

“When it came to setting their opponents over them and placing them at the mercy of those who were opposed to them, the United Nations surely could not stand for that”. ■ The plain fact to which modern history especially bears witness, and to which, among others, the Jews.particularly bear witness, is that the right, of refuge is a truly democratic right. In affirming it so eloquently in the councils of the nations Mr Fraser reaffirms that tradition of freedom in upholding of which New Zealanders yield priority to the people of no other country.