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respect of what they were pleased to call the " war mongering " of the Western Powers, were rejected by 53 votes to 5, clearly indicating that on this matter the Soviet Union and its puppet supporters stood entirely alone. Thanks very largely to the admirable chairmanship of the Assembly's President, General Carlos P. Romulo, of the Philippines, the Assembly did indeed on this occasion complete the work prescribed on its agenda. But whether this is good or bad depends upon one's appreciation of the validity of the decisions which , were accepted, and it seems to me that in respect of some of the more important of these decisions it could not fairly be said that they were wise. lamby no means convinced even now that the right decisions were taken in respect of the former Italian colonies, and in respect of Jerusalem the Assembly's decision—carried by an overwhelming majority on a resolution sponsored by Australia —was, I believe, certainly among the most impracticable decisions that the United Nations has recorded. There would be general agreement — certainly I would hold that view—with the desirability of establishing in the Holy City of Jerusalem an international regime separate and distinct from the neighbouring States. A logical case could accordingly have been made for a decision by the Assembly that Israel and Jordan and the inhabitants of the city themselves would be expected, and if necessary compelled (by means which should clearly have been prescribed in the resolution), to conform with the decision of the Assembly to make of Jerusalem that separate entity which was advocated by the vast majority of the members of the United Nations and was in consonance with the convictions of at least two of the great religions of the world. And from the opposite point of view a case could logically have been made for an admission by the Assembly that in the face of opposition to any proposal for an international regime by Israel and Jordan and by the inhabitants themselves such a proposal was not in present circumstances feasible and therefore either action must be deferred or some compromise course adopted. But there was, it seemed to me, nothing whatever to be said for the resolution that was in fact passed, which in effect decided upon internationalization, but left to the Trusteeship Council—of all bodies — the impossible task of enforcing this decision, solemnly enjoining that Council that it must not " allow any actions taken by any interested Government or Governments to divert it from adopting and implementing the Statute of Jerusalem." That was, and is, a deliberate evasion by the Assembly of the very heart and core of the problem —the problem of implementation. It was a decision quite unworthy of the Assembly, a decision which in the opinion of many —including a considerable number of delegations who actually voted for the proposal—will at best be a futility and at worst could lead to widespread suffering and bloodshed. One very encouraging development at this Assembly was the apparent solution of the problem of Indonesia. It could not, of course, be suggested

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