"Nothing Less Than Bold And Enlightened Statesmanship Can Avoid A Third World War"

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 August 1950, Page 5

"Nothing Less Than Bold And Enlightened Statesmanship Can Avoid A Third World War"

Opinion Of Secretary-General Of The United Nations

NEW YORK, August 6 (Reed. 8.30 p.m.)—Nothing less than bold and enlightened acts of statesmanship will halt further deterioration toward another world war, the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Trygve Lie, said today.

Mr. Lie made his statement in his fifth annual report, prepared for the United Nations General Assembly.

Mr Lie repeated his suggestion that the China representation question should be settled by giving China’s seat in the United Nations to the Government that actually controlled most, of China. Mr Lie said he had high hopes a year ago that the big Powers would resume negotiations on the many issues facing them, but instead the stalemate had become worse. Not only had there been na progress whatever in enlarging the area of agreement, but the parties had not even sat down at the conference table. As long as that state of affairs was permitted to continue the world would remain committed to an In tensification, month by month, of conflict.

“Once peace is restored in Korea, it will then be more important than

ever that a new attempt should be made to resume processes of negotiation, mediation and conciliation for a settlement of th e conflicts that divide the world and threaten to condemn us all to a third world war,” said Mr Lie.

“At the time this report is written it is not possible to be confident about the future of the United Nations and the prospects of world peace, but It is equally impossible to be hopeless,” said Mr Lie.

There was too much support among the peoples of the world for the United Nations, too much constructive work being carried out under the United Nations’ auspices to permit any of those who bore the burden ot authority in the Governments of members, or in the Secretariat of the United Nations to relax for an instant in their determination to do everything possible to save the United Nations as a universal organisation standing firmly against war, and to make it a stronger instrument for peace and progress.”