WORK STULTIFIED

Chronicle (Levin), 15 November 1946, Page 5

WORK STULTIFIED

Press Assn.-

^ — Review of Veto Urged AUSTRALIAN OPENS DEBATE

By Telegraph

-Copyright

Received Friday, 11.35 a.m. NEW YORK, Nov. 14. Opening the veto debate in the General Assembly's political committee, Mr. P. Hasluck (Australia) urged a complete review of the veto power. Pointing out that Russia nad invoked the veto ten times, Mr. Hasluck said the plain and ugly i'act was that one pqnnanent meinber claimed he could successfully select at will those resolutions on which he wished to exercise the veto. Its exclusive use stuitified the Security Council's work, undermined confidence in the eouneil and lessened its effectiveness. Mr. Hasluck stressed tha.t Australia was not trying to change the Charter by restricting or eliminating the veto power. Autralia was not attacking great power unanimity, but appeafed to them to come together, thereby achieving in fact that unanimit.y they professedly neld so sacred. The reai issue was "the conduct of the great powers themselves." Mr. Hasluck added: "It is no exaggeration to say that the thought uppermost in the minds of members of the Security Council has not oeen what was the best thing to do, but what can be done without running headlong into another argument about the veto." He proposed, firstly, moderation in using the veto; secondly, increasing consultation and the spirit of give and take among the big powers; and, thirdlv. the development of the Security Council procedure eliminating repeated votes au each stage of its work. Mr. Hasluck moved an Australian resoiution "earnesriy requesting" the permanent members of the i Security Council to refrain from j exercising the veto, except in cases j under chapter seven of the Charter. I The resoiution stated that the | Assembly had considered some I uses, and the threatened use of the ] veto had not been in keeping either ] with the general purposes and prin- I ciples of the Charter, or with the i understanding reached at San Francisco