SUCCESS ASSURED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23215, 31 May 1945, Page 5

SUCCESS ASSURED

San Francisco Conference Agreement On World Charter By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright <11.50 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, May 30. After a somewhat unpromising start with the question of the chairmanship, the admission of Argentina and the Polish situation successively threatening the disruption of ,the Big Four unity, the San Francisco security conference seemed reluctant to settle down to a detailed and businesslike consideration of its agenda.

In the main this agenda has comprised the Dumbarton Oaks text, amendments submitted by the four sponsoring Powers and a formidable list of proposals presented by 45 other delegations. During the first three weeks problems of organisation and procedure were a constant source of difficulty and delay. Although even now, as the conference enters its sixth week, these problems continue to crop up, the work of the 12 technical committees is being completed at a rate that seemdd impossible of achievement less than a fortnight earlier. Several committees have virtually completed their task, others have been held up pending the outcome of Big Four negotiations on certain outstanding controversial issues—notably the "veto” and trusteeship. When these are settled it is expected that strenuous efforts will be made to speed the remaining work, including the presentation of committee reports to the four main commissions. Duration of Talks It was hoped to wind up the conference on June 6 with an address by President Truman who is coming to San Francisco for this purpose. Today the prevailing mood among delegates is to regard June 6 as a somewhat, optimistic target. One respect in which conference opinion is both positive and unanimous is that the committee schedule during the last month has been a strenuous one, especially for small delegations such as New Zealand. The handicap has not prevented the smaller Powers from. stating their views fully and forcibly, on all occasions where they conscientiously believe the proposals of the sponsoring Powers are open to criticism or improvement. New Zealand’s representatives on the various committees have fought consistently for what they consider should be essential principles of the world organisation.

(1) Respect for the territorial integrity and political independence of every member State based on a collective pledge that every act of aggression will be immediately and automatically resisted. (2) Assurance of an adequate voice and role in the new world organisation for the smaller nations who, by past performance, have given proof of their fidelity to the principles of world security and freedom. New Zealand Amendments In some instances amendments proposed by New Zealand have been accepted either in form or substance. In other instances the case put up is conceded to have paved the way for acceptance of alternative proposals which have gone at least part of the distance in meeting the New Zealand viewpoint. One hears a good deal of favourable comment on the contribution New Zealand has made to the committee’s deliberations. In addition the Prime Minister’s chairmanship of the important Trusteeship Committee has redounded to New Zealand’s credit. Insofar as it will at least bring forth an agreed charter from the

new world organisation, the success of the conference is assured. This in itself is no small achievement. Basically the Charter will adhere pretty closely to Dumbarton Oaks. The Great Powers generally have been reluctant to accept or consider any really substantive changes. Nevertheless the efforts of countries like Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Mexico and Uruguay have had definite results.

The concessions secured add up to a worthwhile advance in the direction of a more liberal and more soundly conceived document than the original Four Power draft. The political and security functions of the Assembly have been enlarged to a useful if limited extent, a statement of basic human rights has been written into the Charter, the Economic and Social Council has been made a “principal organ” and its purposes and responsibilities restated so as to widen them considerably, particularly by the inclusion of full employment as one of the purposes which the member nations undertake actively to promote.

Regional Arrangements The supremacy of the United Nations organisation over regional bodies has been established, and even in the case of the much-disputed veto power the pertinent questions put to the Great Powers, though they may not result in any material modification of the Yalta formula, will, it is felt, have served a useful purpose in drawing attention to its ambiguities and the need for clarifying its provisions. The Great Powers, in other words, have been “put on the spot” by having to explain and justify the operation of the veto in specific situations.

To date justification appears to have been more readily forthcoming than explanation. There is some hope that the upshot of this process of examination may be a more liberal interpretation of the Yalta formula, at least as regards Council decisions other than those involving the use of force.

Interim Body One matter yet to come before the Conference is the appointment of some interim body pending ratification by the Governments of the Charter drafted at San Francisco. It is expected that a proposal will be submitted with the support of the Great Powers for setting up immediately after this conference of a preparatory commission which would meet in continuous session during the intervening months. The main function of such a commission would be to make detailed plans for the establishment of the permanent organisation and for the first meetings of the Assembly and of the Security and Social Councils.