Evening star., 1946-08-09
Text of Byrnes' Address
Secretary Calls on Conference to End
Procedure Fight and Work for Peuce

feated in the commission by a bare
IL to 8 votes, no one complained
that the proposal had ceen re-
jected by Soviet bloc. But -hen
the Soviet proposal of voting pr.-
cedure is defeated by the over
whelming vote of Is to 6 here in
this conference, the charge is made
that the defeat was brought about
by an Anglo-Saxon bloc.
| What loose and wicked talk this
is. France and Norway voted with
the majority. They have striven
so hard TO bring about common
accord. Should they now be ar
raigned as partisans of disunity?
Brazil, China and Ethiopia are also
so arraigned. Britain, which for q
whole year fought to keep our free.
dom almost alone, is attacked fo1
daring to stand up for it's convic-
tions. The United States, which
has steadfastly pursued a policy OF
friendship with all peace loving ma
tions and has firmly opposed all
forms of exclusive political or eco
nomic arrangements, is accused OF
being leader of bloc.
Gentlemen of the conference, we
have come here to make peace
We want to work with all nations
We are not going to gang UP
against any nation. We have been
willing to make concessions to har-
monize our views with others. But
we do not intend to make all the
concessions. We have not fought foI
a free world in order to dictate
terms of peace to our Allies or tc
let them dictate terms of peace
| to us.
I believe in unity. I believe In
general agreement. I do not be.
lieve that the peace treaties car
be written just as this conference
by bare majority vote, would writl
them. But I do believe that the
Council, in the writing of the
treaties, should consider every
recommendation which a majority
of the members of this conference
would like them to consider.
Unanimity Plea Blocks Action.
I believe that this conference
should strive to achieve common
agreement on it's recommendation
so far as it possibly can. But
would be less than frank if did not
say that those who have insisted
most loudly on unanimity here have
not shown quite the same desire tc
achieve unanimity.
We can never achieve unanimity
we can never achieve common
agreement unless we show respect
for the opinions, the feelings ano
the judgments of our Allies.
In our efforts during the past year
to make peace and to make peace
secure, we have found time anC
again the rule of unanimity insisted
upon not to SECURE unanimity, not
to secure common agreement, but tt
block action. Time and again we
have found the rule of unanimity
insisted upon to compel majority
to yield to minority which was un.
willing on its part to make the con.
ceSsions necessary to make com.
mon understanding possible.
The proposed rules of procedure
here in question were adopted by 9
vote of Is to 6, almost three-quar-
ter vote. after full debate in which
all members of the conference hao
an opportunity to participate. Fur
ther debate is not going to help tc
create an atmosphere in which we
can reach common agreement. Quite
the contrary, think it will hamper
our efforts to reach common agree
ment.
I say to you only this: The fight
ing men of the Allied nations who
co-operated in winning the war will
never understand our wrangline
about questions of procedure. ap-
peal to the conference to get on with
| its work The world is crying fol-