SOVIET BANS ITALY FROM UNITED NATIONS

Grey River Argus, 12 April 1948, Page 5

SOVIET BANS ITALY FROM UNITED NATIONS

U.S.A. PLAN FOR SIX NATIONS TO HAVE SAY (Rec. 9.40). NEW YORK, April 10. Russia, in the U.N.O. Security Council to-day, vetoed Italy's application for membership of the United Nations. The Ukraine voted with Russia. The nine other members of the Council all supported Italy. This was Russia's third veto of Italy. Mr Warren Austin (United States) declared, after the vote was taken, that Russia had again frustrated the will of the majority of the Council. He said that the Soviet was misusing the Italian application in trying to force the Security Council to admit non-peace-loving nations. It was most unfair to put Italy on the same status as those other ex-enemy Ststps. M. Gromyko (Soviet' said that the United States was trying to represent itself as Italy’s friend, whereas, in fact, the United States,_ he asserted, was trying to interfere in Italian internal affairs. M. Gromyko said that he was confident that Italians would understand that the admission of their country into U.N.O. had been made into “a political game”. He said Britain and the United States wdre deliberately violating the Potsdam Agreement, which stipulated that all ex-enemy States should be considered together, after the conclusion of peace treaties “on an equal footing” The Council adjourned, after, however, recommending that Burma be admitted to the United Nations. U.S. PLAN TO GET ROUND VETO Mr Austin afterwards explained to press correspondents that, the United States expected—possibly at a special session of the General Assembly opening on April 16- to submit a formula whereby Italy would be given the right to speak in the U.N.O. General Assembly, on a non-voting basis, on any matters affecting her interests. He said this proposad formula would also be extended to include Portugal, Eire, Austria. Trans-Jordan, and Finland. CZECH REGIME AGAINST U.N.O. INVESTIGATION Czechoslovakia to-day sent a letter to the U.N.O. Security Council, rejecting its invitation to the U.N.O. hearing of the Chilean complaint that the Soviet has interfered in Czech political affairs. The Czech Government’s letter declared that the Chilean charges were unfounded. It said that discussion of them by the United Nations was contrary to the Charter.