GROMYKO EXPLAINS DECISION

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24906, 20 June 1946, Page 5

GROMYKO EXPLAINS DECISION

Mr Herschel Johnson, resuming the debate, said the United States did not altogether share Sir Alexander Cadogan’s views, but it might have been able to support his amendment if it had been moved in the first instance. Dr. van Kieffens (Netherlands) said he would support the British amendment and abstain from voting on the sub-committee’s resolution, because the Council was bound by the Charter to reoort to the Assembly, which therefore would be acquainted with its views. _ Mr Gromyko (Russia) said that Dr. Evatt’s opinion that action by the Counci' would break off diplomatic relati.ns with Spain and lead inevitably to war was based on a misunderstanding of the Charter, in Chapter VII. Article 41. He pointed out that Chapter VI provided for the removal of a threat to peace, not the intensification of it. Dr. Evatt’s point that all the United Nations were interested"in the Spanish question and that therefore it should be referred to the Assembly put the position wrongly. A declaration by the Council would not contradict the fact that all members were interested, because the Council acted on behalf of all members. Mr Gromyko said he appreciated Dr. Evatt’s efforts to obtain unanimity, but

he felt they must be guided by the necessity of reaching a right and just decision. Dr. Evatt had appealed to him to bow to the will of the majority, but he was impelled in return to ask Dr. Evatt to accept the decision which he (Mr Gromyko) felt was right and just. Mr Gromyko declared that the Security Council would evade its duty if it adopted the sub-committee’s recommendation. Mr Lange (Poland) declared that if the Council’s vote on the sub-commit*-tee’s recommendation were not unanimous, he would consider himself free to demand a vote on his original prop 3sal for the immediate severance of diplomatic relations with Spain. Mr Lange said the Polish delegation would have to offer proposals designed to promote unanimous action' against General Franco. ' He believed the Council should vote immediately for the severance of diplomatic relations, but since such action was impossible it was most important that some positive action should be taken For that reason Poland supported the sub-com-mittee’s recommendations. Dr. Evatt, replying, said that Poland would have to produce more evidence than it had hitherto done to justify her demand for direct action by the Security Council, as threatened by Mr Lange.