YouSaid · the spoken record

Webb

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS WEBB

lines on the record: 57
first: 1952-09-24
most recent: 1953-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

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“I think it must be conceded that in several of these matters the competence of the United Nations is at the best doubtful, and I have a crowing feeling that if we attempt too much there is a risk that this Organization will lose in authority and effectiveness.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“For that reason we should have welcomed greater readiness on the part of Members to consult the International Court of Justice on these disputed points. I feel that the Court might well have been able to devise a formula that would enable us to give a workable interpretation to these conflicting, or apparently conflicting, provisions of the Charter. I feel, too, that no one who has candidly studied the record of the United Nations over these eight years can justifiably deny that its tendency has been to give too little weight to the plea of domestic jurisdiction. I am afraid that many of us have been too ready to see the mote in the other man’s eye when we might have been better occupied in taking the beam out of our own.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Before I conclude, I would like to say a word or two on the question of the jurisdiction of this Organization. On a specific issue it came before this Assembly yesterday, and I have no desire to reopen that discussion here, particularly as it will no doubt be continued in one or more of the committees. My purpose now is to deal with the question of jurisdiction, not as it affects any particular country, but as it affects the future of this Organization. 80. I believe that this Assembly should take a more realistic attitude in regard to questions claimed to lie within the domestic jurisdiction of any State. I am far from denying that in particular cases it is extremely difficult to determine just where domestic jurisdiction ends and the Assembly’s competence begins. It is hard to reconcile several articles of the Charter.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“In speaking to the General Assembly last year, I threw out the suggestion that at the present eighth session it would not be too soon to begin the preparations for the possible holding of the conference for the revision of the Charter as envisaged in Article 109. We therefore welcome the decision of the Netherlands Government to propose the inclusion of the item which now appears as agenda item 70. What is required is the adoption by the Assembly of a procedure which will permit an orderly and systematic preparation for the conference. At this stage there should be no question of any particular proposal for amendment or, indeed, of going beyond the discussion of the procedure of preparation. As the representative of the Netherlands said yesterday [435th meeting], it is simply a matter of carrying out the purpose of Article 109. 79.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“There is, in fact, an obvious advantage when the receiving country is also a small one, because technical trainees can see things being done on a scale similar to that which would apply in their home countries. 77. I wish to reiterate that this assistance, together with that provided by New Zealand to other United Nations programmes for economic and social betterment- — for instance, UNICEF [United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund], Korea and Palestine refugees — is a practical example of our support for United Nations action in these fields. These programmes, in my opinion, will be not only of lasting value to the countries receiving aid, but will also add greatly to the stature and prestige of the United Nations. 78.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“We commend the United Nations for its initiative in tackling this problem; we hope that this process of sharing skills will be continued on a basis which will bring about a lasting improvement in the standards of living of all countries. 76. New Zealand has made a substantial monetary contribution in each year of the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance. We have endeavoured to have this contribution used as fully as possible in the provision of the particular forms of assistance which New Zealand is best fitted to offer. New Zealand is a small country, itself needing capital development; however, this by no means disqualifies it from providing technical assistance to less developed areas.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“If, however, the United Nations is used as a forum for propaganda, and if unrelated political overtones, inimical to the interests of the peoples of the dependent territories, are introduced into issues confronting us, the system will not and cannot function as it should. 75. New Zealand’s support for United Nations activity in the field of economic development is given practical expression by our participation in the technical assistance programmes of the United Nations and its specialized agencies. These programmes have been in operation for only a few years, but they have already brought benefits to under-developed countries in various fields where technical knowledge is most in need of improvement.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Naturally the New Zealand Government will fulfil its duty of keeping the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations informed, and would give due consideration to its views and advice” [T/1057, annex I]. 74. My Government greatly appreciates the helpful and constructive spirit in which the proposals were received by the Visiting Mission which recently went to Samoa and, indeed, by the Trusteeship Council itself. When their reports come before the Assembly, all Members will have the opportunity to consider the progress so far made in pursuit of New Zealand’s stated aim, which, as I have said on more than one occasion, is the promotion of the welfare and advancement of the Samoan people. This, I believe, is an example of how the trusteeship principle was intended to work. It is the only spirit in which it will work.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“New Zealand is offering to the Samoan people the opportunity to make known, in a fully representative constitutional convention, their views on the nature of the institutions through which they desire to exercise full powers of self-government. May I quote a few words from this statement : “The recommendations of this Convention, and the date on which the Constitution will be put into effect, will be carefully considered by the New Zealand Government, which is fully prepared to implement any scheme which seems to it to be consonant with its responsibilities as Administering Authority and its natural regard for the welfare of the Samoan people.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“I do not propose to labour again the points I then endeavoured to make. I deeply regret the tendency manifested by some nations to ignore the true nature of the task which confronts the administering Powers. In establishing stable forms of government on a democratic basis, in encouraging development in the economic and social fields, and in promoting the health and welfare of the populations of these territories, the administering Powers have a notable record of achievement. We do well to remember the nature of the obstacles which the administering Powers have overcome in this process. 73. What these problems are in the Trust Territory of Western Samoa, the New Zealand Government has recently explained in a statement of policy regarding the future of the Territory.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“If the Secretary-General will permit me again to quote him, may I say that certain words which he used in an address to the United Nations Correspondents’ Association on 10 July 1953 express very clearly the consideration which the New Zealand delegation then had in mind. This is what the Secretary-General said: “I don’t believe very much in general statements and sweeping rulings, but more in orderly developments building up a sound body of rules by decisions in individual cases, creating a kind of common law.” 72. When I addressed the Assembly last year [380th meeting], I gave at some length my country's view on the manner in which the United Nations could assist the administering Powers to promote the welfare of the inhabitants of the Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“No less important are the Secretary-General’s references to the Secretariat, emphasizing as they do the duty of the Member States to uphold and respect the independence of the Secretariat and the correlative duty of the staff of the Secretariat to avoid any conduct which might reflect upon their position as international officials. 71. At the seventh session of the General Assembly [416th meeting], the New Zealand representative drew attention to the importance of developing along sound lines the “jurisprudence” of the Secretariat in personnel matters on the basis of the rules laid down by the General Assembly.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“I hope also that they will reaffirm in their policies the respect they have pledged in the Charter for the independent position of the Secretariat of the United Nations and the recognition there given to the essential role of an international civil service in an irrevocably interdependent world. As Secretary-General, I shall upheld the policies concerning conduct of memlicrs of the Secretariat which are a condition for this interdependence” [ A/2404, page xii]. 70. The New Zealand Government endorses the principles laid down in the paragraph I have just read. The need to make all proper use of the International Court of Justice is a matter to which, on more than one occasion, we have drawn attention.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“So long as they are excluded, we shall have the spectacle of the United Nations being used by one country as a means of imposing its will upon the rest instead of being, to quote the words of the Charter itself, “a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends”. 69. I was particularly impressed by the following passage in the Secretary-General’s annual report on the work of the Organization: “I hope that the governments will find occasion, in the months and years ahead, to give greater attention to the importance for world peace of extending the scope of international law, of building up respect for its disciplines and of resorting more willingly to the International Court.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“One further matter upon which the Government of the Soviet Union can give proof of its good intentions is the admission of new Members to the United Nations. At each session of the Assembly numbers of States, in every way qualified for membership, are excluded with monotonous regularity. It would be equally monotonous for me to repeat the arguments we have advanced in favour of their admission. I do not wish to do more, at this stage, than to record my deep regret that nations so fully qualified to enter the United Nations should continue to be excluded.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“If it is true that there is a will to peace on the part of the Soviet Union, if there is really a change of heart, now is the time to prove it by deeds. The political conference on Korea offers an excellent opportunity for such proof. We are all only too familiar with the frustrations and delays over the peace settlements with Germany and Austria. Surely the conclusion of these two peace treaties must be regarded as one of the tests of Soviet intentions. Surely, after some 250 meetings of deputies of Foreign Ministers have been held, it is too late in the day to argue, as it is now being argued, that a meeting at this level is not the proper forum for the discussion of an Austrian treaty. 68.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“I have always felt that the method by which the United Nations can best exert its influence is through the pacific settlement of disputes. On more than one occasion, back in my own country, I have expressed the view that the democratic nations should he ready at all times to meet conciliation with conciliation, but I regret to say that so far we have not been able to discern much in the way of conciliation from those whose political and ideological conceptions differ so fundamentally from our own. If we could only have some tangible proof, some convincing evidence, of change of heart, rather than merely a change of tactics, on their part, we could face the future with greater hopes or, at any rate, less anxiety. 67.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“The leader of the United States delegation, in his challenging survey, reminded us of the disappointment of great numbers of people in the achievements of our Organization. While the United Nations may not have fulfilled the high hopes of its founders, any disappointment is, I agree, due rather to the fact that people expected the United Nations to fulfil purposes beyond the bounds of practicability, and I would most earnestly remind my fellow representatives that the United Nations, despite its imperfections, is the one body capable of becoming an effective instrument for the preservation of world peace. We can, I feel, derive satisfaction from the fact that in the case of Korea we have for the first time seen an international police force in action. 60.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Such a reunion would, I believe, be impeded by further recourse to arms, and we can only hope that the measure of peace which has been so dearly won will not be broken by any unilateral resumption of hostilities. 64. Above all, I would express the hope that the holding of the political conference on Korea will not lie delayed by technicalities and those endless procedural disputes which tend to lead only to frustration and despair. So much depends upon this conference for the peace and welfare of the Pacific, and indeed elsewhere in the world, so many hopes turn on its success, that it behooves us all to do everything in our power to ensure that the conference gets under way at the earliest opportunity. 65.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“We have fought back the aggressor and, by so doing, have prevented him from gaining anything from his break of world peace. We have demonstrated that military aggression does not pay. Even when the desired prize of peace seemed within our grasp we held out for months on a point of moral principle — the question of the forcible repatriation of prisoners of war. 63. Our record to date, therefore, should be sufficient to inspire confidence that our declared aim — the unification and rehabilitation of Korea — will be pursued by us tenaciously, though peacefully. I do not minimize the grave difficulties, or attempt to foretell just how or when they may be overcome. But the determination of the United Nations to work resolutely for the reunion of a divided people is a force not to be regarded lightly.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Political or ideological aggression, unaccompanied by military aggression, needs counter-measures of a different kind. 61. The fact that after these terrible years the whole of Korea is not united and free may seem to some not to warrant any degree of satisfaction with the past or of confidence in the future of the United Nations. The deliberate decision of the United Nations to seek the objective of the unification of Korea by peaceful means is sometimes classed as an act of appeasement. This pessimistic conclusion would be justified if talk about the unification of Korea were no more than a cover for acceptance of the partition of the country. This is not our view of the spirit of the Charter or of the intentions of the United Nations. 62.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“There is also, I believe, ground for satisfaction that the United Nations has up to this point performed its international duty. 60. In my opening speech at the Assembly last year [380th meeting] I said that I disagreed with those who were wont to describe our efforts in Korea as a failure. True, we had not progressed as far or as fast as many of us hoped, but our primary objective, to repel aggression, had been achieved. I pause here to emphasize that when we speak of aggression we mean military aggression, not political or ideological aggression. Someone has rightly and aptly said that you cannot kill an idea with bullets, and I think it as well, therefore, to make it plain that we took up arms in Korea to resist military aggression.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“58. As Mr. Lester Pearson said when laying aside the presidential gavel, the seventh session of the General Assembly of the United Nations could be described as the Korean Assembly. Let us hope and pray that, with the cessation of hostilities in Korea, that particular issue will not continue to dominate the deliberations of this session. 59. The New Zealand Government, while fully aware of the immense and baffling problems which lie ahead, has received the armistice with profound relief and thankfulness. There is relief that the guns are at present silent in a country where for three years the fighting forces have suffered grievous loss and the civilian population unspeakable hardships. There is gratitude to the men of the United Nations forces whose labours and sacrifices have produced this result.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“One writer who had quite a considerable hand in the drafting of the Charter has recently said that what is surprising is not that the United Nations has been able to achieve so little, but that it has been able to achieve as much as it has in spite of all its difficulties. 37. Let us hope that as this Organization grows to maturity, it will gradually acquire the strength to keep the peace and promote good will and understanding among all people that on earth do dwell.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Such a conference would need considerable preparation, and it seems to me that it would not be too soon for the Assembly, at its next ordinary session, to take the matter in hand and perhaps appoint a preparatory committee to receive and analyse suggestions. 36. No one would claim that the United Nations Charter or the Organization itself is perfect; in fact, experience has shown that there are serious defects. But those defects are due more to the frailties and perversities of human nature than to the form of the Charter itself. We are a long way from that happy state when the wolf and the lamb shall lie down together and a little child shall lead them. But despite the imperfections and shortcomings of the Charter, it to the world a far more promising basis for an effective international organization than has hitherto been devised.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Finally, I should like to draw attention to Article 109, which provides that if a general conference for reviewing the Charter has not been held before the tenth annual session of the General Assembly, a “proposal to call such a conference shall be placed on the agenda of that session of the General Assembly, and the conference shall be held if so decided... by a vote of any seven members of the Security Council”. Though there is nothing in the Charter as to the date on which this conference is to be held, I understand it was the expectation at San Francisco that it should be held in conjunction with, or soon after, the tenth annual session.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“The number of outstanding applications is now over twenty, and some of these date back more than six years to the very beginning of the United Nations activities. My delegation would be the first to agree with the advisory opinion of the Court that each application must be considered individually on its own merits, in the light of Article 4 of the Charter. It is essential to the life of the United Nations that its membership should grow, and the present situation, in which it is quite impossible to secure the admission of any one of twenty applicants — even one — is plainly intolerable. In my view this present situation, more than almost any other, carries with it the possibility that the United Nations will be brought into disrepute. The fate of an application for membership should not be dependent upon a horse-trading deal. 35.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Two qualities are, of course, essential to its success — competency and impartiality. Both are indispensable, but given these qualities the Court can greatly enhance the Value of our work, I feel, therefore, that we should afford it every opportunity to prove its worth anti thus gain the confidence of the nations, 34. My Government has noted with extreme disappointment the results of the Security Council’s recent consideration of the outstanding applications for membership of the United Nations, Speaking quite frankly — and I address these remarks to the members of the Security Council, and in particular to the permanent Members — we believe that after all these years the Assembly is entitled to something better than the same empty report of no progress whatever. The position is highly unsatisfactory.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“But there are cases, such as the one concerning domestic jurisdiction, which turn on questions of interpretation, where it is difficult to reconcile articles that are in conflict or apparent conflict. Sub-paragraph 7 of Article 2, for example, lays down that this Organization has no right to intervene in matters of domestic jurisdiction. Where does domestic jurisdiction end and our jurisdiction begin? In every case, of course, the final decision must be that of the United Nations, but if we referred the question to the International Court of Justice, we should have the benefit of trained minds, They could sift the chaff from the oats, lay bare the fundamental issues, state the arguments for and against and perhaps establish a set of guiding principles that would help us in making up our own minds.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“We think that the situation would have been different if, in dealing with these cases, the General Assembly had availed itself of the advisory function of the International Court of Justice. We ourselves have not failed on several occasions in the past to urge that it was the duty of the Assembly to follow this course. In some quarters this seems to be regarded as a device for shelving a question, but I do not regard it in that light at all. 33. No one would suggest that this Assembly should shirk its responsibility for political decisions by casting it on the Court, or that the Court should be burdened with questions on which the Charter provisions are perfectly clear.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“The existence of such problems is familiar to all, but there must be few who are able to discern with confidence and clarity the principles which should predominate in the solution of any one of them. This situation of uncertainty is the more distressing if we consider that as the United Nations advances, so will problems of this nature continue to be presented to it, perhaps in increasing number and variety. 32. The New Zealand delegation is, of course, not alone in regretting the lack of guidance and legal precedent from which, notwithstanding the number of cases that have come before us, the general membership of the United Nations still suffers in these matters.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“These examples alone are enough to prove that important changes do take place through the instrumentality of the United Nations. 30. The United Nations cannot fairly be accused of going too slow in all matters it might sometimes, perhaps, be accused of trying to go too fast. I have in mind particularly those cases affecting the jurisdiction of the United Nations General Assembly in which its decisions might have matured better if more use had been made of advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice. The Assembly itself has recorded its desire to follow this path. 31. On the present agenda there are a number of items in respect of which problems that concern on the one hand the competence of this Organization and on the other hand, the domestic jurisdiction of Member States, have arisen.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“No fewer than four States — Indonesia, Libya, Israel and the Republic of Korea — have taken their places in the family of sovereign nations, though for well-known reasons two of the four still knock vainly at our door for admission. But in any event the United Nations has played a significant part in their attainment of international status. Besides Libya, the constitutional position of former Italian Somaliland and Eritrea has also been settled through the decisions of the United Nations General Assembly [resolution 289 A (IV)], and it is worth recalling that in spite of the gloomy prophecies that the British war-time Administration of the former Italian colonies would continue to remain indefinitely in possession, it has, in fact, now vacated all three.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“This new body is designed to give members of that assembly a voice in the shaping of the legislative programme, and not merely the right, as at present, to discuss such measures as may be brought before it. 29. When, in the United Nations, a delegation makes an appeal for patience, whether with respect to dependent territories or to other questions which come before us, it is liable to be suspected of secretly wishing to make the United Nations a barrier against all change. It is therefore salutary to remind ourselves of the very great political developments which have already taken place through, or with the assistance of, the United Nations in the comparatively brief space of its seven years.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“In my capacity as Minister of Island Territories of the New Zealand Government, I visited Western Samoa, at the beginning of this year, and I can assure the General Assembly that both Samoa and New Zealand will continue to co-operate with the United Nations and to pay the greatest attention to any constructive suggestions and recommendations the United Nations may put forward. In this connexion I may mention that one of the last Bills I introduced in our Parliament before leaving for this Assembly was one which provides for the setting up of a Samoan executive council which will include several members of the Western Samoan Legislative Assembly.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“We think that we have in the past shown our willingness to co-operate to the fullest extent with the United Nations in guiding the people of Western Samoa towards self-government We are grateful to the Trusteeship Council and the General Assembly for the help which they have given us in this respect. 28. I should like to emphasize that New Zealand has nothing whatever to gain out of Western Samoa, except the satisfaction of promoting the welfare and advancement of its people and of helping them along the road that leads to the goal of their ambitions — self-government — and that satisfaction, I may add, will be ample reward to us for the obligations which the trusteeship entails.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“What we need is a better spirit of give and take — a renewed effort at co-operation and conciliation in the interests of the Trust Territories and Non-Self-Governing Territories. On the part of the non-administering Powers, this calls for a better understanding of the magnitude of the task which confronts the administering Powers, a recognition of the great progress that has been made, and the exercise of patience in “reviewing what must often seem to them the painfully slow emergence of the dependent peoples towards self-government or independence, 27. So far as the New Zealand Government is concerned, we shall always be ready to pay heed to all honest and constructive criticism.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Such a course cannot serve the real interests of the inhabitants of either the Trust Territories or the Non-Self-Governing Territories. 25. The New Zealand delegation is, however, convinced that the great majority of the members of the General Assembly do not want the Fourth Committee to become, as it has regrettably shown signs of becoming, another political committee. Extraneous political issues should not find a place in the Fourth Committee, since discussion of them can only lead to neglect of the interests of the peoples of these territories. We feel that all members of the Fourth Committee should strive to develop a sense of responsibility and to put aside all thought of gaining momentary, and often illusory, political advantage from actions which have nothing to do with the welfare of the dependent peoples. 26.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“In 1946 — before the Council was established — the New Zealand delegation stressed in the General Assembly that the Trusteeship System was not devised in the interests of either the Administering Authorities or the other Members of the United Nations; much less was it devised as a flail with which to flog the Administering Authorities or other Members of the United Nations or as a forum for propaganda. The main objective of the Charter was, and is, the promotion of, the welfare of the inhabitants of the territories concerned. 24. It is regrettable that in the years which have elapsed since then a tendency to ignore this vital point has on too many occasions seemed evident, and that there have even been attempts to misuse the Trusteeship System in the struggle for world power.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Many of its achievements may have escaped notice, but they are none the less real. Too often the headlines are reserved for quarrels which beset many of the organs of the United Nations, and probably the reason why the Council’s deliberations are not well publicized, therefore, is that it is working harmoniously and reasonably well. 23. The International Trusteeship System has now been in operation for six years, and, if I may be permitted, I should like to indulge in a very brief stocktaking.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“This in turn should pave the way for a settlement that will rid this unfortunate country, Korea, of the internal dissension and strife by which it has been torn asunder. 21. In the meantime, the United Nations, as a whole, may draw courage and inspiration from the fact that the first part of its duty with regard to Korea — the defeat of aggression — has been fulfilled. 22. Passing now to other matters, I am glad to record that New Zealand has continued to co-operate to the best of its ability with the Trusteeship Council and other United Nations organs concerned with advancing the welfare of dependent peoples. We feel that the Trusteeship Council has now settled down, and has developed healthy procedures by which it can effectively carry out its task. There is no doubt that it has made noticeable progress and has worked hard.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“People who make this suggestion lay themselves open to the charge that those who are not prepared to put their trust in anyone else are judging the ethical standards of all other people by the same low level as their own, or alternatively, that they are afraid to have the other fellow subjected to an impartial test because they know that he will be proved right and they will lose their grievance. 20. I hope, therefore, that even at this late stage, the Soviet Union will be able and willing to persuade the North Koreans and Chinese to accept the reasonable terms — the very reasonable terms — that the United Nations negotiators have offered, and thus bring about an armistice.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“It may be said by way of rejoinder that we could have had an armistice long ago if we had only chosen to send unwilling prisoners back to the North Korean lines; bat would any reasonable person, any unbiased person, say that we should force men to return against their will — when they say they fear for their lives if they are sent back? By all accounts, the genuineness of their fears has been doubted; so also, apparently, has j the reliability of our calculations, and perhaps even our veracity. I suppose that in the present tense atmosphere, when suspicions are so easily aroused, these doubts are understandable, though in fact they are quite unfounded. 19. But surely adequate means for putting the prisoners and ourselves to a reliable test have been devised. How can it be suggested that no impartial screening tribunal can be found?”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“It is the duty of all States, both Members and non-members of the United Nations, to bend all their efforts towards the conclusion of an armistice. And if, as we are given to understand, the only outstanding problem is the question of the forcible return of the prisoners of war, surely some mutually acceptable formula can be agreed upon. 17. I should like to make an appeal to the Soviet Union, through its representatives here to assist wherever it can towards this end. Theoretically, ostensibly, the Soviet Union is not a party to the Korean war, but we know that it has been doing a little more than prompting from behind the scenes. 18.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“And so I repeat that the United Nations action in Korea has not been a failure. No one, of course, would deny that we have not as yet accomplished all that needs to be done. Our task is not yet finished, and we intend to stay in Korea until our objective has been achieved. That objective, I emphasize, is to bring about a cessation of hostilities and to establish something approaching a settled order in the country — nothing less, nothing more. 15. The first step now towards this end is the conclusion of an armistice, and in this connexion we are profoundly disappointed that the truce talks, in which agreement has been reached on all controversial points of substance except one, should have been seriously interrupted. 16.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“We seek no territorial expansion or other material gain in Korea, but if we are to measure up to our responsibilities under the Charter, then no nation and no group of people must be allowed to take the law into its own hands. That is why we intervened in Korea. We felt that, whatever grievance the North Koreans may have had, they were not justified in attempting to redress it by the arbitrament of the sword. 14, Though the response to this clear call to duty has not been as great as it ought to have been, nevertheless it is reassuring that some Members — and I am proud to think that New Zealand is one of them — have demonstrated that they are prepared to fulfil the obligations into which they have solemnly Entered and that they are determined to see, and to let others see, that a breach of world peace cannot be committed with impunity.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Gilbert Murray, who laboured hard for world peace, if any man ever did, once said: “The problem is to make sure that all Members, or at least those Members upon whom the issue depends, will, when the time comes, do their duty and take united action to resist the aggressor.” It must be admitted that before the Korean action this unfortunately was still a problem, 13, I regard the Korean action as a turning point in the history of this Organization. It is the first time that anything approaching an international police force has been seen in operation. Some people seem to regard our action in Korea as a failure. My own view is that it has been anything but that. It cannot be too strongly emphasized that we intervened in Korea solely to halt aggression, and in that we have succeeded.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“I do not propose to dwell on this point; it was fully dealt with by the leader of the New Zealand delegation in the general debate at the sixth session of the Assembly [337th meeting]. I would only add that in the year that has passed since then there has, in our view, been very little improvement in this aspect of the case, and that substantially the whole military and economic burden of the action continues to be borne by the same small minority of Member States. 12.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“I wish to make it quite clear that the observations which my Government submitted for consideration by the Collective Measures Committee, and the remarks I have just made, were not directed, specifically at any particular case of collective action; we intend them as applying to the general development of the collective measures system, and to all cases which may have to be dealt with under that system. I cannot deny, however, that our own experience as a participant in the Korean action was very much in mind when we made these observations. It cannot be contested that the contributions of Member States in that case fall far below the full requirements for collective action as indicated in the Committee’s report last year [A/1891].”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“In such an action it-is incumbent upon all Members to assist the United Nations primarily by the provision of military elements or, if that is impossible, at least by the contribution of some other forms of assistance. I do not deny that this problem of sharing is a difficult and, perhaps, delicate one; but I repeat my conviction that the United Nations has to face up to it if it seriously desires to found an effective collective measures system. 11.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)