UN General Assembly
1947

The United Nations was born not only of the last war and because of that war, but it was formed primarily to replace the old League of Nations, to make good its shortcomings and remedy Its errors. The reasons for the failure of the League of Nations are too well known to necessitate recapitulation. I shall merely recall the following facts. Power politics, which were condemned by President Wilson, emerged again in the Treaty of Versailles and divided the League of Nations into several opposing camps instead of linking the countries in one common international ideology. Despite public protestations of their belief in peace, the Powers of that day in reality subordinated peace to their selfish interests or ambitions. Confidence and candour were lacking in the mutual relations between mast of those Powers, and hence, in practice, they deliberately departed from the texts which they themselves had set before the world as the principles governing modem society.