VIETNAM DEBATE Consultations Go Ahead In U.N.

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30976, 4 February 1966, Page 13

VIETNAM DEBATE Consultations Go Ahead In U.N.

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright)

NEW YORK, February 3. Security Council delegates today began private consultations on their next step in the effort to transfer the war in Vietnam to the conference table.

The bare minimum of nine votes was mustered yesterday to approve the United States request for a debate on Vietnam. The Soviet Union and France had been in the forefront of the bid to head off an open debate.

Russia objected strongly to the putting of the item on the agenda and insisted that the Geneva agreements of 1954 were the only basis on which to settle the Vietnam problem. The Soviet Union and Britain are co-chairmen of the Geneva conference.

The American delegate, Mr Arthur J. Goldberg, declared his Government’s willingness for talks at Geneva any time.

The United States has asked the council to set up talks leading to a peace conference and implementation of the Geneva agreements.

Full Report

Mr Goldberg is to present a full and detailed report on the Vietnam situation when the council meets again in open session. No date has been fixed yet for a public meeting. Among the questions to be discussed privately are the matter of an invitation to North and South Vietnam to take part in the council’s work.

Hanoi has made abundantly

clear it will not accept any such invitation. The United States draft resolution, already circulated, is believed to be unacceptable to many delegations and the elected members were expected to make intensive efforts to modify it.

Draft Resolution

The Soviet Union’s opposition to the debate made it likely it would introduce a draft resolution of its own attacking the United States “aggression” and resumption of bombing of North Vietnam on Monday after a lull of 37 days. The non-permanent members were expected to be at pains to find a compromise

between the American and Russian positions. When the council resumes public debate, Soviet attacks on the United States and support for North Vietnam—Mr Fedorenko quoted both President Ho Chi Minh and the National Liberation Front—are likely to be more bitter. The United States delegation, however, does not now expect that the Soviet Union will veto the United States resolution because this would place it in the position of opposing a step toward peace. What is more likely, it was said, is a Soviet counterresolution supporting North Vietnam's position on peace talks, and nominating the National Liberation Front as the sole spokesman for South Vietnam.