HOME FROM PARIS

Chronicle (Levin), 12 November 1946, Page 6

HOME FROM PARIS

V -Press Association

MR. MASON PAINTS BRIGHTER PICTURE

By Telegraph—

AUCKLAND, Nov. 11. While it was too much to expeet the future to be free from diliiculties, there was no basis for gloomy views about world peace, said the Attorney-General, Hon. G. H. R. Mason, on his return to New Zealand today after ieading the Dominion delegation at the Paris Peace Ooilference. The Alinister, who was accompanied by Mrs. Mason, travelled from England by air. "I feel -that reports of the conference have given a wrong impression as to the emotions of delegates," Mr. . Mason said. "The strong utteranee of divergent views does not imply illfeeling or lack of self control, a point that may not be suffieiently realised ' and as to which there may be misapprehension on reading-the cabled reports. 1 observed occasions where difficulties that involved prolonged discussio'n were more apparent than real. ' ' Mr. Alason said he w;ent to t]ie eonferenee with a full realisation of the difficulties involved and therefore he had not tlie sense of disappointment which had been expressed in some quarters. After discussing the problem of ob- j taining a two-tliirds majority against j the agreed deeision of the Foreign, Xlinisters, Mr. Alason said the net result was that the eonference eould only be eflieetive where the Alinisters had not eome to a concluded deeision. The fate of the Istrian Peninsula below Trieste illustrated one of these'problems. Tlie boundary line agreed iipon , by the Council of Foreign Alinisters! gave to Yugoslavia a coastal strip; which was essentially Itaiian in its; population, history and culture andj whose economy and communications I were all linked with Trieste. The j youth African delegate moved to in- i clude this territory in the Governmenti of Trieste and also a town preponder- 1 antly Itaiian, but such was the influ-i ence of the Council that it was not possible to secure even a siinple major- ; ity on this necessary act of justice. 'j During the eonference the wordi ' ' deinocratie ' in various languages, : was used to garnish every proposition. Although the word was so fashionable throughout Europe it might well be doubted whether it was understood in the sanie sense by those nations who until now had been settling internal governmental problems with the knife and gun, as it was by those who for centuries had employed peaceful ^methods. Perhaps the greatest problem faeed by the eonference was the fact that it really was not drafting a treaty but was submitting recoinmendations to the Council of Foreign Alinisters. Alr. Alason added that that fact always secmod to iiupose a considerablc feeluig of restraint upon delegates. Every delegation may not always have voted according to its best judgnicnt of the merits of a proposal. Fear of oll'ending ono or another of the delegations or eountries was most certainly a factor in detcrniiuiiig which way a vote iuiglit be cast, The jruljlic might kavt§; some idea of 'that factor but in his opinion its influence was grcater than was imagined. It would be a ruistake to think only of the difficulties and disappointments of tlie eonference. Alr. Alason said there was some good work done of which the most notable instance was the agreeinent made as to the Southern Tyrol. It is true this . was not made in the coui'erence itselfi but it arose out of the eonference and the p'resence in Paris of the delegates concemed. ... ..