WORLD DESIRE FOR PEACE WILL FORCE BIG POWER HARMONY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26958, 18 December 1948, Page 7

WORLD DESIRE FOR PEACE WILL FORCE BIG POWER HARMONY

New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 17. The people of the world were behind the United Nations, which could and would stop a third world war, said Dr H. V. Evatt, president of the United Nations General Assembly in an interview to-day. He added that world leaders, and not thq United Nations, were on trial. The Great Powers must develop a modus vivendi that would enable the Eastern and Western coalitions to co-operate with each other in spite of political cleavages. The trend at present was to use the United Nations as a dumping ground for problems which the Great, Powers failed to solve themselves, Dr Evatt said. “I regard it as utterly illogical for the world to expect the United Nations, with it shands tied by the veto, to produce lightning solutions of major problems that so far have baffled the Great Powers themselves.”

Dr Evatt said the world desire for peace would ultimately force the Great Powers to work together. “ The Great Powers must rid themselves of what might be called the obsession of Europe. They must recognise that not only Europe but the whole world is involved in every major problem that challenges peace.”

Dr Evatt said he agreed with the Indian Prime Minister, Pandit Nehru, that the European leaders must not overlook Asia. “I also share Mr Nehru’s positive challenge that the Communist doctrine cannot be met by plain negation but must be answered by measures designed to give better and decent standards of living for oeople all over the world." Mr Thorn’s Views Conflicts between the Great Powers cut across practically the whole of the proceedings of the United Nations Assembly in Paris, and led to frustration and disappointment, said Mr J. Thorn, leader of the New Zealand delgation and High Commissioner for New Zealand in Ottawa. It was an embarrassment to the General Asesmbly that it had now become a forum for embittered controversy on serious problems which the Great Powers had been unable to settle, Mr Thom continued. This gave the general public an impression of failure and led to a cynical appraisal of the Assembly’s work. .. , The main cause of the Assembly s being unable to complete its agenda had oeen a repetitious debate which amounted almost to a filibuster. The Soviet had been mainly responsible particularly on questions of the control of atomic energy, the reduction of conventional armaments. Palestine, and Korea.

In defence of the Assembly,' Mr Thorn pointed out that it had to be remembered that,the problems which caused serious difficulty had only reached it after the Great Powers had failed to solve them after two or three years. It was not altogther reasonable to expect 58 nations not to experience some fundamental conflict of opinion in a modern world. Economic and Social Side

The economic and social side of the Assembly, said Mr Thom, had been a success, but as the result of the pro tracted session of the Asesmbly and its early resumption, many delegations, especially those represented on bodies such as the Economic and Social Council and the Trusteeship Council, were faced with having to sit in almost permanent session. This raised the problem of maintaining representation where civil servants could not be spared without serious inconvenience to their departments. Some strong procedure for control of the agenda was essential if the United Nations business was to be kept within reasonable bounds, added Mr JThorn.