JUDGMENT CLOUDED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26636, 5 December 1947, Page 5

JUDGMENT CLOUDED

OPPOSING BELIEFS FAILURE OF UNITED NATIONS CLEAVAGE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST Hec. 9 p.m. NEW YORK. Dec. 3. If the United Nations had appeared to fail in its purpose, it was due to a cleavage between East and West, said Sir Alexander Cadogan, permanent British delegate to the Security Council, in a speech at the annual dinner of the English Speaking Union to-night. “The different —indeed, the opposing —beliefs may quite sincerely be held on the one side as on the other,” he said, “ but the tragedy is they colour the view taken bn every problefn and cloud judgment. Questions are'seldom considered objectively on their merits, and so long as this antagonism persists, it is difficult to expect more than occasional and perhaps fortuitous results from the United Nations. “ Yet I claim that Britain’s relations in the United Nations with the United States and many other Governments—particularly those of the British Commonwealth —are ample compensa-

tion, and it shall always try to keep them on their present level. The Eng-lish-speaking peoples must pursue their steady course, and we must hope that gradually they may attract into their ways those who now seem to see advantage to themselves in following another road,” he said. Sir Alexander continued: " Some have seen in recent events what they describe as a 1 disintegration ’ of the British Empire. I spmetimes wonder whether in this atomic age we are not witnessing, if we could descry it, a 4 dispersal ’ on a scale not yet dreamt of—a spatial dispersal, but also an alignment of mighty spiritual -forces. Instead of going underground we may be spreading round the globe, carrying with us, and finding partners to .share with us, resistance to all the encroachments on human liberty that seem to threaten all peoples.” In face of the Communist threat to the lives and liberties of all Englishspeaking peoples, the closest friendship among them was essential for their survival, said Mr William C. Bullitt, former United States Ambassador to Russia.

He continued: “The present strategy of conquest of the Soviet is based on the military estimate that it is not yet strong enough to attack the United States successfully, but must seize additional strategic areas and bring more races and resources under its con-

trol before attacking us.” He added that unless the United Stales acted effectively now all the resources of Europe and Asia would eventually be mobilised against it.