BRITISH OBJECTIONS TO RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRUST TERRITORIES

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 November 1949, Page 5

BRITISH OBJECTIONS TO RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRUST TERRITORIES

NEW YORK, Nov. 15 (Recd. 7.10 £ pm).—The United Nations General t Assembly, overriding British objections on most points, today adopted a t series of recommendations and direc- ( tions to powers administering trust e territories. Mr. John Fletcher-Cooke (Britain) r said his country was not opposed to 1 the principles in recommendations to a which he objected. It was already ' taking many measures to put those * principles into effect. Britain did re- 1: sent Strongly the inference that the ‘ United Nations had the right to interfere in the work of the administering < authorities. 1 Recommendations by the Trustee- | i ship Council adopted by the General j * Assembly included: (1) Visiting Unit- < ed Nations missions to be given power 1 to report on what measures are being taken in trust territories to advance , political, economic, social and educational improvement; (2) native in- 1 habitants should have greater par- ■ ticipation in the profits and manage- j ment of various colonial enterprises; . (3) greater educational facilities should be provided for native inhabit-| E ants; (4) Administering authorities to { be asked to fly the United Nations j flag over trust territories in addition to their own flag. t The General Assembly expressed its 1 satisfaction at the recommendation of t the Trusteeship Council that child c marriages in trust territories be pro- t hibited, and corporal punishment and t penal sanctions foi' breaches of labour ' contracts be abolished immediately. ' The Assembly also decided to com- ' mend the “excellent financial situ- 4 ation” in the trust territories of ® Western Samoa and Nauru, and en- ] dorsed the recommendations of the Trusteeship Council “regarding the ' need for the formulation of plans lay- 1 ing down a sound economic founda- 5 tion for these two territories.” ‘ The resolution, which asked the ad-|) ministering authorities to submit : plans for administrative unions in ad- J 3 vance to furnish financial and other ! data about the separate territories I and to establish separate judicial leg-■ islative bodies in each part of a| union, was carried by 44 votes to 9. I The resolution was described by Mr. 11 Fletcher-Cooke as unwarranted in- 1 terference in the administration of 1 trust territories. “We shall regret- J fully decline any invitation to submit 1 our prior plans, he declared.