WORK OF U.N.R.R.A.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26033, 22 December 1945, Page 8

WORK OF U.N.R.R.A.

STOPPAGE THREATENED MORE FUNDS REQUIRED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 21. “ U.N.R.R.A. will come to a complete stop about March, 1946, having .spent all its resources and its continued existence depends upon the will to cooperate of the United Nations, whose agent U.N.R.R.A. is,” said Lieutenantcommander Harold W. Larsen, who has recently been appointed U.N.R.R.A. representative in New Zealand in a statement to-day. Lieutenant-comman-der Larsen arrived at Wellington, and was received by the Acting Prime Minister, Mr W. Nash. “In practical terms,” said Lieuten-ant-commander Larsen, “ this means that the member nations of U.N.R.R.A. must decide whether they desire to make a second contribution of 1 per cent. Should this be made, U.N.R.R.A. will be able to operate during 1946. By resolution of the U.N.R.R.A. Council, U.N.R.R.A. will, in any event, cease operations in Europe in December, 1946, and in the Far East in March, 1947. It is not intended that relief and rehabilitation should be carried through till they become reconstruction, which is a matter for the individual nations. “At the council conference held in London in August, the U.N.R.RA- delegates carried a resolution to recommend their governments to make a second contribution. So far only Britain has -given a definite indication of its intention,” continued Lieutenantcommader Larsen. “In the expectation that the contribution will be made. U.N.R.R.A. must plan ahead accordingly. Failure to do so would mean that the relief would not be ready at the time and places it would be needed.” Lieutenant-commander Larsen added that he had come to Wellington to open and conduct a New Zealand office for the South-west Pacific area office of U.N.R.R.A., which was located in Sydney.