NARROWED DOWN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25849, 21 May 1945, Page 6

NARROWED DOWN

ISSUES AT SAN FRANCISCO VETO AND TRUSTEESHIP (Official News Service) SAN FRANCISCO, (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) May 20. Major questions before the United Nations Conference have moved so quickly to the voting stage during the past few days that there was an increasing hope to-night that many of the 12 committees will have virtually finished their tasks by next week-end, leaving a few more days for the final drafting of the charter, and its approval by the plenary sessions of the conference. To all intents and purposes, the outstanding controversial issues have been narrowed down to two—the veto proposals of the Great Powers and the trusteeship of dependent peoples—although there is no news yet of the acceptance by the Great Powers of the plan for regional agreements worked out by the United States and the Latin American republics. ' Other matters concerning which a final decision still has to be taken include the scope and functions of the Economic and Social Council and its relationship \yith other specialised international agencies, such as the International Labour Organisation; the participation of Powers not members of the Security Council in decisions Involving the application of sanctions, and the question whether the international court should exercise compulsory jurisdiction. Voting Procedure

No sign is reported of any yielding to the Great Powers in their insistence that the voting procedure which gives each the right of vetoing action must be retained as an essential part, or perhaps the essential part, of the structure of the new world organisation.

The veto debate in committee was actually opened by the Prmie Minister of New Zealand, Mr Fraser, when he put before the great Powers a set of specific questions, asking exactly how their voting proposals—the provision that there must be unanimity between them in Security Council decisions on all matters of moment—would be applied in specific instances. His questions were answered by a great Power spokesman, and questions and answers were deemed of such importance by the committee that it was decided to circulate them among all the delegates in printed form. They have not been released for publication. After that, according to published reports, the Australian delegation led off the debate proper with a forceful and critical address by Dr H. V. Evatt, asking mainly that if the veto system must be retamed at all it should apply only to voting on sanctions and not to such other questions as the peaceful means of settling disputes. Mr Fraser’s Appeal f

At a. subsequent meeting of the com- ( mittee dealing with voting procedure in the Security Council, Mr Fraser is reported to have made a strong appeal to the Great Powers, first, to make absolutely clear the actual effect of their veto proposals as formulated at Yalta, and, second, to accept the widest practical limitation of the veto power—especially as it affects the peaceful settlement of disputes and the amendment of the charter itself. Mr Fraser frankly acknowledged the earnestness ancLsincerity of the sponsoring Powers in desiring to subordinate other considerations to the necessity of laying a basis for continuing unity of action within the framework of the new world organisation. He claimed, nevertheless, . that it was the responsibility of these Powers to consider the sentiments of the rest of the world, and that these . sentiments very clearly indicated that the “ veto,” as provided for in the Dumbarton Oaks charter, would not bring about such unity—that it would, in fact, militate against the establishment of any really effective and worth-while security system. He particularly asked that the amendments of the charter, as drawn at San Francisco, should be re- ,: moved from the operation of the veto, since it would be foolish to put international justice In a straitjacket.. Powers of Assembly

The much-debated question of the powers of the Assembly appeared to-day to be practically’a closed book without any further concessions being made towards the demands of the smaller Powers. The prospect briefly is thatr wMft'rthevassembly will be free to diseas'd any matter at all-in the sphere of international relations, it will be able to make actual recommendations only before or after, and not. during the time, the Security Council is dealing with the matter. The Great Powers have taken the stand that duplication of the activities of the council and assembly must be avoided and that they can grant no further'authority to the assembly at the expense of , the council. Still to be decided, however, is an Australian proposal that a limit of time should be laid down- in which the Security Council must come to a decision on critical matters.' Once the limit is reached the assembly should be empowered to take the matter over, i Progress 'fr&s made on the ' trusteeship proposals to-day when Mr Fraser’s committee reached an agreement on general policy except on the question of whether the ultimate independence of dependent territories should be specified as an alternative aim to self-government. The committee agreed that nations administering territories inhabited by peoples not yet able to stand ut» for themselves under the strenuous conditions of the modern world should be required to accept the general principle that it is a sacred trust of civilisation to promote to the utmost the well-being of those peoples within the world community. To this end, they were entrusted with ensuring the political, economic, social and educational of the peoples concerned and the furtherance of international peace and security. Eventual Independence

The delegates left undecided for the meantime the disputed provision for eventual independence. The committee also decided that the States concerned should agree that their policy must be based on the general principle of good neighbourliness, due .to an. account being-taken of the interests and well-being of other members of the world community n social, economic, and commercial matters. It agreed that the United a ations organisation should establish under its authority an international system of trusteeship for the administration and supervision ,of such territories as may, be placed thereunder by subsequent individual agreements, and should set up suitable machinery for these purposes. The form of machinery its scope and powers are among questions that will face the committee at forthcoming meetings. ' The committee dealing with economic and social co-operation has comr’eted and approved the draft of objectives that go considerably beyond the original proposals and beyoud the Great Powers’ amendment. The draft says that with a view to the creation of conditions of stability and well-being which are necessary for peaceful and friendlv relations among nations and the self-determination of their peoples, the organisation shall promote first, higher standards of living, full employment and conditions of economic and social progress and development.; secondly, solutions of international, economic and social culture, health and other related problems; and thirdly, universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, language, religion, or sex.