BITTER SOVIET ATTACK

Chronicle (Levin), 23 April 1949, Page 5

BITTER SOVIET ATTACK

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter,

Gromyko In His Uhual Role At O.N.

Coyyriffht)

Received Friday, -7 p.m. NEW YORK, April 21. Charges and eountercharges were iiurled by American and British delegates on the one hand 'and the Russian delegate on the other, when United Xatiotts political committee resumed its discussion of . the future of Italy's irormei- coloiiies in Noi'th Africa today. Mr. Gromyko (Russia) delivered an attack on the British and United States attitudes towards the North Afi'ican question, declaring they wanted to dis--liember Italy's empire for their own uilital'y purposes. Mr. Gromyko bitter■:y attacked British coionial rule and .varned the committee to " ' listen eareLully to the voiee of .India in this matter. The situation in colonies under the authority of the British who are vonstantly singing about their love for coionial peopies, has become worse. The Indians .know well - how the British disliked getting out of India. They web know -that g'enerations of Indian intei ligensia had to spend yfears behind the oars of British gaols becanse the> opposedMhe coionial regime. The history of British coionial administration shows us t-hat the British and al! coionial authorities, prefer to taik to subject peopies in the language of fire and swoi'd and not in the language of raising the material well being of thost populations. ' ' Mr. John . Foster Dulles (United States) replied that until the Soviet j rough t before United Nations th» question of the future of the territories ,t had occupied, it would be better for Mr. Gromyko to remain sileut. The Soviet had always taken the view that beeause it had conquered or occupied a territorv, it had the sole right to detertnine the territory 's future. Mr. Dulles asserted that he could say mucli in Bn tain's praise but would eontent himseli vvith the statement that botli in word und de'«d, Britain had shown sincerity and determination to give self-govern-ment to all territories wherein it hau an interest. On the other hand, there would be about ten other nations sitting around the conference table then but for the Russian veto and there would still be another ten nations represented if they had not fallen into the Soviet maw. Mr. Dulles added that it wa^ Soviet ambitions to grab a base 'ir. North Africa that had prevented a big Power agreement on the disposal of: Italy's former Xrorth African coionie's. Mr. Hector Mt'Xreil (Britain) saiu Mr. Gromyko 's attack on Britain was propaganda intended to try to poison the mind'S of some delegations that britain was unworfhy of any part in jmy .trusteeship arrangements. He said the self-righteous attitude of the Soviet delegation eontrasted very oddiv with facts which could be displaved from uiany quarters. Evidence could be pro duced on the military objectives soughlby Russia. One instance was Lithuania where Russia had deuounced "all rights of sovereignty forever. "5Soviet Russia lias a coionial record, too. Next time Air. Gromyko is lecturing on the sub ject, he might tell about some of the peopies who have disappeared from territories they formerly occupied in Soviet Russia. Entire populations have been deported by the Soviet Union fioi allegedly not opposing the Germans. " The committee adjourned further dis cussion until after the General Assein bly meets in plenary session on Moh day.