YouSaid · the spoken record

Marshall

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS MARSHALL

lines on the record: 54
first: 1947-09-24
most recent: 1948-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The United States of America did not wish to increase the existing tension. It was its wholehearted desire to alleviate that tension, but it would not compromise on essential principles. It would under no circumstances barter away the rights and the freedoms of other peoples. It earnestly hoped that all Members would find ways of contributing to the lessening of tensions and the promotion of peace with justice. The peoples of the earth were anxiously watching the efforts of the General Assembly in Paris. They must not be disappointed.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“The record showed that there were no mechanical majorities at the disposal of any nation or group of nations. Majorities formed quickly in support of the principles of the Charter. Nations consistently in the minority would be welcomed among the ranks of the majority — but not at the price of compromise on basic principles. The United Nations had sought to promote the free exchange of ideas on a basis of full reciprocity. The effort was of the greatest political importance. Any Government which, by deliberate action, cut itself and its people off from the rest of the world became incapable of understanding the problems and policies of other Governments and other peoples. It would be a tragic error if, because of such misunderstandings, the patience of others were to be mistaken for weakness.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“That process had been seriously hampered by the refusal of a group of nations to participate in certain of the important commissions established by the General Assembly, such as the United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans, the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea and the Interim Committee. More important than that boycott, however, was the disturbing lack of co-operation which the United Nations had received in its efforts to resolve such questions as Korea and Greece and to bring about the international control of atomic energy. That persistent refusal of a small minority to contribute to the accomplishment of United Nations agreed purposes was a matter of profound concern. There was no plot among Members of the Organization to keep any nation or group of nations in a minority. The minority position was self-imposed.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“They could, however, perform important services in connexion with United Nations missions abroad not only as guards but as observers and as communications and transportation personnel. One of the principal purposes of the United Nations, according to Article 1 of the Charter, was «to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of» the «common ends » set forth in the Charter. The problem of making and keeping the peace involved many Governments and many peoples. On the issues which called for settlement, the large Powers as well as the small must submit their policies to the judgment of the world community. For that purpose appropriate forums had been established for the adjustment of differences through the impartial opinions of society.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“The United States delegation believed that the General Assembly should give sympathetic consideration to the suggestions of the Secretary-General for the establishment of a small United Nations guard force to assist United Nations missions engaged in the pacific settlement of disputes. The fate of the Mediator in Palestine and the experience of the several commissions already working in the field had already demonstrated the need for such a group. This great world Organization should not send its servants on missions of peace without reasonable protection. The guards would be entirely distinct from the armed forces envisaged under Article 43 of the Charter and would not carry out military operations.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“The United States delegation joined in expressing great appreciation of those individuals who during the past year had served on United Nations missions, with great courage and devotion to duty, either as members of national delegations or of the Secretariat. Their services had been rendered under conditions of great hardship and personal danger. Members had been given a particularly solemn reminder of those conditions by the tragic death of Count Folke Bernadotte and Colonel Sérot at the hands of assassins. The people of the United States of America joined in tribute to the man who worked brilliantly and courageously as the United Nations Mediator in Palestine, and also paid tribute to those others who had lost their lives in the service of peace.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“The report of the Interim Committee on the problem of voting in the Security Council represented the first comprehensive study of that vital problem since San Francisco, and contained the views of an overwhelming majority of the members. The work of the Security Council would be greatly facilitated if the recommendations of the Interim Committee could be accepted by the members of the Council. The Interim Committee itself had worked usefully and effectively during the past year and could continue to render an important service to the General Assembly. He hoped that the General Assembly would agree to its continuation for another year in order that more experience might be gained before a final decision was taken as to whether the Committee should become a permanent part of the Organization.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“In endeavouring to achieve a political settlement, it was necessary to continue to improve the functioning of the machinery of the United Nations. He hoped that the Security Council would recommend, during the present session of the General Assembly, the admission of additional new Members. There were a number of fully qualified States now awaiting admission, whose election had been supported by the United States of America but had been blocked for reasons not consistent with the Charter. The most recent applicant, Ceylon, one of the new States to emerge in Southern Asia, had been denied the membership to which it properly aspired.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“No Governments or peoples working toward such ends could be held to be seeking war, or imperialist expansion, or disorder and strife. The United States delegation had noted with particular interest that part of the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the United Nations relating to the millions of people who were not yet fully self-governing; it was mindful of the obligations undertaken in the Charter for the political, economic and social development of those peoples. His delegation believed that all possible assistance and encouragement should be given to them, to the end that they might play their full part in the family of nations, either as independent States or in freely chosen association with other States.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“The early adoption of an international system for the control of atomic energy, providing for the elimination of atomic weapons from national armaments, for the development of atomic energy for peaceful purposes only, and for safeguards to ensure compliance by all nations with the necessary international measures of control. Under an adequate and dependable guarantee against violation, a progressive reduction in armaments as rapidly as the restoration of political confidence permitted. Other situations or problems might be mentioned, but if constructive steps were taken toward the settlement of those which had been indicated, new hope would arise among men and new confidence among the nations of the world. It would readily be seen that the above-mentioned pattern was toward peace.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“A negotiated settlement without further bloodshed in Indonesia, along the broad lines of the Renville Agreement, providing, within a brief period, both the sovereign independence sought by the peoples of Indonesia and the continued co-operation between them and the people of the Netherlands. Continuation of the mediation and negotiation between the great nations of India and Pakistan with respect to Kashmir, in order that the processes of peaceful settlement might bring to a conclusion an issue charged with great dangers.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“A unified and independent Korea, accepted as a Member of the United Nations, acting under a constitution and a government selected by the Koreans themselves through free elections, and receiving the economic and political encouragement it would need as it embarked upon its new life as a Korean nation. A Greece made secure from aggressive and unlawful interference from without, enabled to order its political life by the democratic process and by respect for the law, enabled to rebuild its economy and to provide its people with the essentials for a decent life of which they had been deprived for so long.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“His delegation believed that the ends to be sought as regards those matters might be briefly summarized as follows A Palestine free from strife and the threat of strife, with both the Jews and Arabs assured the peaceful development envisaged by the actions of the General Assembly and of the Security Council; an early demobilization of armed forces to permit the return to conditions of peace and normal living in Palestine; the repatriation of refugees who wished to return and live in peace with their neighbours; economic aid to Jews and Arabs so that they might restore and strengthen their economic wellbeing; the admission of Transjordan and Israel to membership in the United Nations.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“Every effort should therefore be made to achieve an early and just peace settlement so that Japan and Germany might exist as democratic and peaceful nations, subject to safeguards against the revival of military or economic means of aggression, and so that they might, in due course, demonstrate their qualification for admission to membership in the United Nations. In Austria the United Nations’ aim was the restoration of its political and economic freedom within its 1937 frontiers, and its immediate admission as a Member of the United Nations. Other questions affecting world peace were now before the United Nations, some of them before the present session of the General Assembly.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“Marshall did not wish to deal at the present time with the details of any particular issue, but there were broad lines along which a just and equitable settlement of each of those questions might be reached. Some of those matters were on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly; others, such as those dealing with the peace settlements, were to be dealt with in other forums. Nevertheless, whatever the forum, as Members of the United Nations, they were all subject to the principles of the Charter. If peace were desired, the issues arising out of the last war must be settled. The Charter was written with the expectation that the solution of the problems before the United Nations would not be made more difficult by long delay in completing the peace settlements.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“An elementary requirement was that international obligations should be respected and that relations among States should be based on mutual confidence, respect and tolerance. How could the United Nations establish among Governments and peoples the confidence which was necessary to a just and stable peace and which was basic to the work of the United Nations? The need at the present session of the General Assembly and in subsequent months was to achieve, or at least to move nearer to, a settlement of the major issues which now confronted Members. For its part, the United States of America was prepared to seek in every possible way, in any appropriate forum, a constructive and peaceful settlement of the political controversies which contributed to the present tension and uncertainty. Mr.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“and for these ends to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours...» Three years later the United Nations was confronted with the need of saving not only succeeding generations, but its own. The first purpose of the United Nations was to maintain international peace and security, and to that end all Members were pledged to settle their international disputes by peaceful means and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law. Members were also pledged to seek an accommodation by which different cultures, different laws, different social and economic structures and different political systems could exist side by side without violence, subversion or intimidation.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“Despite the co-operative action of most nations in rebuilding the peace and restoring wellbeing, tension during the past year had increased. The leaders of the other nations were creating a deep rift between their countries and the rest of the world community. That rift should not be allowed to widen any further and efforts to find a common ground should be redoubled. He referred Members to the Preamble of the Charter, to words that were solemnly written by the peoples of the United Nations while the tragedy of war was vividly stamped on their minds: « We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war...”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“It had been disappointing that efforts at economic recovery consistent with that concept had been actively opposed by some who seemed to fear the return of stability and confidence. Members must not be misled by those who, at the present time, in the name of revolutionary slogans, would prevent reconstruction and recovery or hold out illusions of future well-being at the price of starvation and disorder. A year ago he had expressed the view to the General Assembly that a supreme effort was required from all if they were to succeed in breaking through the vicious circles of deepening political and economic crises. He believed that most members of the Organization had sought to make such an effort and that that was beginning to bring results.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“Marshall stated that while the United Nations and its related agencies were increasingly helpful in the economic and social field, primary responsibility for improving standards of living would continue to rest with the Governments and peoples themselves. International organizations could not take the place of national and personal effort, or of local initiative and individual imagination. International action could not replace self-help nor could there be a move toward general co-operation without maximum mutual help among close neighbours. The United Nations was not intended to preclude co-operative action among groups of States for common purposes consistent with the Charter of the United Nations.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“Through the United Nations, Members were seeking to combine their efforts to promote international trade, to solve the difficulties of foreign exchange, to facilitate the voluntary migration of peoples, and to increase the flow of information and ideas across national boundaries. The Charter of the International Trade Organization would establish procedures for expanding multilateral trade, with the goal of raising living standards and maintaining full employment. The Conference on Freedom of Information had been responsible for three conventions now before the Assembly which embodied principles and procedures for expanding the exchange of information. It was to be hoped that the Assembly would give those conventions thoughtful and favourable consideration. Mr.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“The International Refugee Organization was giving assistance to displaced persons. The International Children’s Emergency Fund was providing emergency aid to children and mothers over wide areas. As a part of the United Nations’ efforts to increase productivity by applying new and advanced techniques, the Food and Agriculture Organization was broadening the use of improved seeds and fertilizers. The tuberculosis project jointly sponsored by the World Health Organization and the International Children’s Emergency Fund represented another example of the constructive wort of the Organization.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“The aspirations of Members of the United Nations must take into account man’s practical needs: improved living and working conditions, better health, economic and social advancement for all, and the social responsibilities which those entailed. The United Nations was pledged in the Charter to promote higher standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and development. The Secretary-General had devoted a considerable part of his annual report to the nature of the progress made thus far in that field. It was evident from the record that everyone could be encouraged by what was being done. The United Nations was directly engaged in efforts to alleviate the social and economic disorder and destruction resulting from the war.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“The maintenance of those rights and freedoms depended upon adherence to the abiding principles of justice and morality embodied in the rule of law. It would therefore always be true that those Members of the United Nations which strove with sincerity of purpose to live by the Charter, and to conform to the principles of justice and law proclaimed by that Charter, would be those which were genuinely dedicated to the preservation of the dignity and integrity of the individual. Mr. Marshall urged that the General Assembly, at its third regular session, should approve by an overwhelming majority the Declaration of Human Rights as a standard of conduct for ail; and that Members of the United Nations, conscious of their own shortcomings and imperfections, should join their efforts in good faith to live up to that high standard.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“The association of free nations in a free world was based upon the obligation of all States to respect the rights of other nations. Systematic and deliberate denials of basic human rights lay at the root of most of the world’s troubles and threatened the work of the United Nations. It was not only fundamentally wrong that millions of men and women lived in daily terror of secret police, subject to seizure, imprisonment or forced labour without just cause and without fair trial, but those wrongs had repercussions in the community of nations. Governments which systematically disregarded the rights of their own people were not likely to respect the rights of other nations and other people, and were likely to seek their objectives by coercion and force in the international field.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“Freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of opinion and expression, freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention, the right of a people to choose their own government, to take part in its work, and, if they became dissatisfied with it to change it, the obligation of Governments to act through law, those were some of the elements that combined to give dignity and worth to the individual. The Charter of the United Nations reflected those concepts and expressly provided for the promotion and protection of the rights of man as well as for the rights of nations. That was no accident, for, in the modern world, the association of free men within a free State was based upon the obligation of citizens to respect the rights of their fellow citizens.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“Mr. MARSHALL after expressing satisfaction that the Assembly was meeting in Paris, recalled that France had, through the centuries, nourished the arts and sciences for the enrichment of all mankind, and that its citizens had striven persistently to expand freedom for the individual. It was entirely fitting that the General Assembly, meeting in France, which had fired the hearts of men with the Declaration of the Rights of Man in 1789, should consider in 1948 the approval of a new Declaration of Human Rights for free men in a free world. Not only was it appropriate that Members should re-affirm their respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms but they should renew their determination to develop and protect those rights and freedoms.”
1948-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 3 (1948)
“The United Nations will never endure if there is insistence on privilege to the point of frustration of the collective will. In this spirit we have indicated our own willingness to accept a modification of our special voting rights in the Security Council. In the same spirit we appeal to the other permanent members of the Security Council, in this and in all matters, to use their privileged position to promote the attainment of the purposes of the Organization. The Government of the United States believes that the surest foundation for a permanent peace lies in the extension of the benefits and the restraints of the rule of law to all peoples and to all Governments. This is the heart of the Charter and of the structure of the United Nations. It is, I think, the hope of mankind.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“These aims can be accomplished only if the untapped resources of the United Nations are brought to bear with full effect through the General Assembly and in other organs. The Assembly cannot dodge its responsibilities; it must organize itself effectively, not as an agency of intermittent action, but on a continuous basis. It is for us, the members of the Assembly, to construct a record of achievement in dealing with crucial problems which will buttress the authority of the Organization and enable it to fulfil its promise to all peoples. The great Powers bear special responsibilities because of their strength and resources. While these responsibilities bring with them special advantages, the great Powers must recognize that restraint is an essential companion of power and privilege.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“The creation of the Interim Committee will make the facilities of the General Assembly continually available during this next year to all its Members. It will strengthen the machinery for peaceful settlement and place the responsibility for such settlement broadly upon all the Members of the United Nations. Without infringing on the jurisdiction of the Security Council, it will provide an unsurpassed opportunity for continuing study, after the adjournment of this Assembly, of the problems with which the United Nations must contend if it is to succeed. The attitude of the United States towards the whole range of problems before the United Nations is founded on a very genuine desire to perfect the Organization so as to safeguard the security of States and the well-being of their peoples.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“This committee would not, of course, impinge on matters which are the primary responsibility of the Security Council or of special commissions; but, subject to that, it might consider situations and disputes impairing friendly relations between nations, brought to its attention by Member States or by the Security Council pursuant to Articles 11 and 14 of the Charter, and report to the Assembly or to the Security Council thereon; it might recommend to the Members the calling of special sessions of the General Assembly when necessary, and might report at the next regular session on the desirability of establishing such a committee on a permanent basis. In our opinion every Member of the United Nations should be seated in this body.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“The facilities of the General Assembly must be developed to meet this need. I am therefore proposing that this Assembly proceed at this session to create a standing committee of the General Assembly, which might be known as the Interim Committee on Peace and Security, to serve until the beginning of its third regular session next September.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“The scope and complexity of the problems on the agenda of this Assembly have given rise to the question whether the General Assembly can adequately discharge its responsibilities in its regular, annual sessions. There is a limit to the number of items which can receive thorough consideration during the few weeks in which this body meets. There would seem to be a definite need for constant attention to the work of the Assembly in order to deal with continuing problems. Occasional special sessions are not enough. The General Assembly has a definite and continuing responsibility under Articles 11 and 14 of the Charter in the broad field of political security and the preservation of friendly relations among nations. In our fast-moving world an annual review of developments in this field is not sufficient.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“The United States would be willing to accept, by whatever means may be appropriate, the elimination of the unanimity requirement with respect to matters arising under Chapter VI of the Charter, and such matters as applications for membership. We recognize that this is a matter of significance and complexity for the United Nations. We consider that the problem of how to achieve the objective of liberalization of the voting procedure in the Security Council deserves careful study. Consequently, we shall propose that this matter be referred to a special committee for study and report to the next session of the Assembly. Measures should be pressed concurrently in the Security Council to bring about improvements within the existing provisions of the Charter, through amendments to the rules of procedure, or other feasible means.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“We were always fully aware that the successful operation of the rule of unanimity would require the exercise of restraint by the permanent members, and we expressed ourselves to that effect at San Francisco. It is our hope that, despite our experience to date, such restraint will be practised in the future by the permanent members. The abuse of the right of veto has prevented the Security Council from fulfilling its true functions. That has been especially true in cases arising under Chapter VI and in the admission of new Members. The Government of the United States has come to the conclusion that the only practicable method for improving this situation is a liberalization of the voting procedure in the Council.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“The effective operation of the United Nations Security Council is one of the crucial conditions for the maintenance of international security. The exercise of the veto power in the Security Council has the closest bearing on the success and the vitality of the United Nations Organization. In the past, the United States has been reluctant to encourage proposals for changes in the system of voting in the Security Council. Having accepted the Charter provisions on this subject and having joined with other permanent members at San Francisco in a statement of general attitude towards the question of permanent member unanimity, we wished to permit full opportunity for practical testing.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“We have consistently and repeatedly made it clear that the regulation of armaments presupposes enough international understanding to make possible the settlement of peace terms with Germany and Japan, the implementation of agreements putting military forces and facilities at the disposal of the Security Council, and an international arrangement for the control of atomic energy. Nevertheless, we believe it is important not to delay the formulation of a system of arms regulation for implementation when conditions permit. The Security Council has accepted a logical plan of work for the Commission for Conventional Armaments. We believe that the Commission should proceed vigorously to develop a system for the regulation of armaments in the business-like manner outlined in its plan of work.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“From this rostrum it is very easy to pay lip service to the sincere aspirations of all peoples for the limitation and reduction of armed forces. This is a serious matter, which should not be the subject of demagogic appeals and irresponsible propaganda, I say frankly to the General Assembly that it is the conviction of my Government that a workable system for the regulation of armaments cannot be put into operation until conditions of international confidence prevail.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“We must state frankly, however, that in the absence of unanimous agreement on the essential functions and powers, which the majority has concluded must be given to the international agency, there will necessarily be limitations on the extent to which the remaining aspects of the problem can be worked out in detail. If the minority persists in refusing to join with the majority, the Atomic Energy Commission may soon be faced with the conclusion that it is unable to complete the task assigned it under the terms of reference laid down in the General Assembly resolution of 24 January 1946. The United States also recognizes the importance of regulating conventional armaments. We regret that much more progress has not been made in this field.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“The initial offer made by the United States on 14 June 1946, by which this country would give up its present advantage in exchange for an effective system of control has found most gratifying acceptance by the majority of the nations represented on the Commission. They have worked earnestly together to hammer out specific proposals whereby such a system could be put into effect. All have made important contributions to the end product. The majority is convinced that its proposals provide the only adequate basis for effective control. Since the United States realizes fully the consequences of failure to attain effective international control, we shall continue our efforts in the Atomic Energy Commission to carry forward our work along the lines of the majority views.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“In dealing with the facts presented by the advent of atomic energy, the majority has devised a system of control, which, while it is bold and daring, is, in our view, essential for security against atomic warfare. The minority has evidently been unwilling to face these same facts realistically. The mandate of the General Assembly remains unfulfilled. Failure to agree on a system of control which can provide security against atomic warfare will inevitably retard the development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy for the benefit of the peoples of the world and will accelerate an atomic armaments race.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“We do not want the inability of two Powers to reach agreement to delay any further the urgent and rightful claims of the Korean people to independence. For the achievement of international security and the well-being of the peoples of the world, it is necessary that the United Nations press forward on many fronts. Among these, the control of atomic and other weapons of mass destruction has perhaps the highest priority if we are to remove the spectre of a war of annihilation. The preponderant majority of the Atomic Energy Commission has made real progress in spelling out in detail the functions and powers of an international control agency which would provide a framework for effective atomic energy control. Two nations, however, have been unwilling to join the majority in the conclusions reached. This is a disturbing and ominous fact.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“Furthermore, the United States and Soviet delegations to the Joint Commission, have not even been able to agree on a joint report on the status of their deliberations. It appears evident that further attempts to solve the Korean problem by means of bilateral negotiations will serve only to delay the establishment of an independent, united Korea. It is therefore the intention of the United States Government to present the problem of Korean independence to this session of the General Assembly. Although we shall be prepared to submit suggestions as to how the early attainment of Korean independence might be effected, we believe that this is a matter which now requires the impartial judgment of the other Members.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“Korea remains divided at the thirty-eighth parallel with Soviet forces in the industrial north and United States forces in the agricultural south. There is little or no exchange of goods or services between the two zones. Korea’s economy is thus crippled. The Korean people — not former enemies, but a people liberated from forty years of Japanese oppression — are still not free. This situation must not be allowed to continue indefinitely. In an effort to make progress, the United States Government recently made certain proposals designed to achieve the purposes of the Moscow Agreement, and requested the Powers adhering to that agreement to join in discussion of these proposals. China and the United Kingdom agreed to this procedure. The Soviet Government did not.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“The Joint Commission was then to consult with that provisional Government on methods of giving aid and assistance to Korea, any agreement reached being submitted for approval to the four Powers adhering to the Moscow Agreement. For about two years, the United States Government has been trying to reach agreement with the Soviet Government, through the Joint Commission and otherwise, on methods of implementing the Moscow Agreement, and thus bringing about the independence of Korea. The United States representatives have insisted that any settlement of the Korean problem must in no way infringe on the fundamental democratic right of freedom of opinion. That is still the position of my Government. Today, the independence of Korea is no further advanced than it was two years ago.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“This multilateral pledge was reaffirmed in the Potsdam Declaration of July 1945, and subscribed to by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics when it entered the war against Japan. In Moscow, in December of 1945, the Foreign Ministers of the USSR, the. United Kingdom and the United States concluded an agreement designed to bring about the independence of Korea. This agreement was later adhered to by the Government of China. It provided for the establishment of a joint United States and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Commission to meet in Korea and, through consultations with Korean democratic parties and social organizations, to decide on methods for establishing a provisional Korean Government.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“We realize that whatever the solution recommended by the General Assembly, it cannot be ideally satisfactory to either of the two great peoples primarily concerned. While the final decision of this Assembly must properly await the detailed consideration of the report, the Government of the United States gives great weight not only to the recommendations which have met with the unanimous approval of the Special Committee, but also to those which have been approved by the majority of that Committee. I turn now to the question of the independence of Korea. At Cairo in December 1943, the United States, the United Kingdom and China joined in declaring that in due course Korea should become free and independent.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“The Government of the United States intends to do everything within its power at this session of the General Assembly to assist in finding a solution for this difficult problem which has stirred up such violent passions, and which is now resulting in the shedding of blood and in great mental and moral anguish. The solution will require of each of us courage and resolution. It will also require restraint. The Special Committee on Palestine is to be highly commended for its contribution to the solution of this problem. Although the members of this Committee were not able to agree unanimously upon a number of important issues, including that of partition, they have been able to find the basis for agreement on eleven recommendations to this Assembly. Their achievement in reaching unanimity on so many points represents definite progress.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“The United States delegation will therefore submit to tire Assembly a resolution which will contain a finding of responsibility; call upon Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia to cease and desist from rendering further assistance or support to the guerrillas in Greece; establish a commission to assist in the implementation of these recommendations and to investigate the facts with regard to compliance therewith, and make other appropriate recommendations to the States concerned. The General Assembly is also faced with the problem of Palestine.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)
“One permanent member of the Security Council, however, has three times vetoed the efforts of the Council to deal with the situation. This Assembly cannot stand by as a mere spectator while a Member of the United Nations is endangered by attacks from abroad. If the United Nations should fail to protect the integrity of one small State, the security of all small States would be placed in jeopardy. The inability of the Security Council to take effective action in this case passes on a grave responsibility to the General Assembly. I am confident that the General Assembly will not fail to meet this responsibility. It must do so if the Organization is to carry out its fundamental purposes.”
1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)