BRITAIN ANSWERS SOVIET ATTACKS ON ATLANTIC PACT

Chronicle (Levin), 16 April 1949, Page 5

BRITAIN ANSWERS SOVIET ATTACKS ON ATLANTIC PACT

Hector McNeil's Caustic Reply To Gromyko

Received Friday, 7.0 p.m. NEW YORK, April 14. Hr. Hector McNeil (Britain) today challenged _ Mr. Andrei Gromyko (Russia) to file a formal eomplaint in United Nations against the North Atlantic Pact so that the General Assembly couJ (1 have a showdown vote on it. Mr. McNeil, speaking in the Assembly during the debate onthe proposals to restrict the veto in the Security Council, dealt point bv point with the allegations Mr. Gromyko made yesterday against* the Pact. He said Mr. Gromyko himself knew that the Pact did not provide for military allianees for aggression. "V for the moment believes that Norway has any aggressive design against the Soviet Union?" Mr. McNeil accused Mr. Gromyko of slandermg the British Government. He said so far as Britain was concerned the AngloSoviet treaty was still in. effect. Mr. Bevin had made continuous efforts to hawe it extended. "Not only do we not seek to escape from the treaty, bnt we are passionately anxious that the Soviet Union should feel herself bonnd by it." He added that nothing in the United Nations ^ Charter contlieted with the intention of the signatories of the North Atlantic Pact. It was so patently defensive in character that only those who contemplated aggression had any reason to oppose it.

! Ileferring to Mr. Gromyko 's state ini'iit that noae of the Pact signatories J.jnl suffered an anned attack from Ku^sia, Mr. McNeil conlmented: "That is ahout the only kind of altaek we have not suffoml." Mr. McNeil said \iv. Gnnnyko elaimed to spcak for the Man. but lie and other Russian del,'u«it iived i n so'aiion at a Long Istand e>!at* iiisli*:il *>■ mivi'j: with people u-* ihe oi. her ddegates dul. ' ;ui.l olliers ln'lieve Mr. Gromyko and his eolieagues have long been out of toiieh with ihe lai.amon people. 1 appea! to Mr. (lioniyko to go to a delieates-mTi. ji Siij^ nr a -niiway ;uid listeo to what the peo ile ea ve to say ahout the situatioii i'loni v. lin-li the Pact was born." Xn.-wenng M i . tiromyko's assertums that the Uus>;an -.se of the veto had alua\- ot eu in the interests of the peo, i'le ,11 l.e world, Mr. McNeil said: ' ■ M ist e* uiomyko trifles jvith our time •in, J in -i.its our inttdligence. His asser tio n -- tui? Iiiust alisurd gencialisatioii e.ei - ilfel'od ill tlle Assemlllv.." Mr. MeNeil said United Nation" wonld uiow in strength and becoma muri* effc'-tive wlieii liiissia aekuow iedged with al! tiie other great Powers that tliev weri* not the possessors of all wisitoui or :iil [lower. Sii ( 'ari lieri ndsen (N.Z.), speaking

on Mr. (.iromyivo s airaca ua me vnu warned that wliile the veto existed in anv fonn there could never be a permanently etiective systein oi coiieciive security. Kecalling the liglit against the vetc at San Francisco bv Dr. Evatt, he said: "Is it suggested that Australia played no part in the Great War? My own Prime Minister (Mr. Peter Fraser) alsc, had a signiiicant part in the fight , against the veto. Do not t-he war -vines- of New Zealanders throughout j t'ue world provide undying evidence i that niv own small country does uot confine the support of its principles to words alonei" 'j Sir Carl said New Zealand had ahvays opposed the veto and would continue to do so. Referring to the Atlantic Pact. he said he did not think there was anybody outside a mental hospitai who retaineQ' the view ■ that peaee could be kept by words alone. Ht added. "I don't want to be misunderstood because I would give my right naml for the success of United Nations." After an exhaustive debate the General Assembly ruled that the great Powers should confine their use of the veto to certain items of paramount infportance.