Evening star., 1946-11-14
Australia Blasts
Russians Use Of
Veto 10 Times
Work Of Council Has
Been 'StuItified,'
U. N. Committee Told
BY IN. A,.oeiotsd Pres.

Soviet Union for invoking the
big-power veto 10 times and said
these acts have "stultified" the
work Of the United Nations Sc
curity Council.
1t said these Russian actions un-
dermined confidence in the Council
and lessened its ability to deal
effectively with matters before it.
Leading off debate on the explo-
siye issue in the General Assembly's
5i-nation Political Committee, Dele
gate Paul Hasluck of Australia called
for complete review of the veto
section which gives Russia, Great
Britain. the United States, France
and China the right to block any
major decision with a single vote.
THE plain and rather ugly fact
Is that a permanent member has
claimed successfully that he can
select at viii those resolutions on
which he wishes to exercise the veto,
and In doing so, the form and con-
tent OF the resolutions are of less
concern to him than his own opin-
ion OF what some fellow members of
the Council has meant or might
mean by backing such proposals. .
Hasluck said.
May Veto Substantive Issues.
Under the Charter the permanent
members may veto any substantive
question but not one Of procedure,
and Mr.. Hasluck directed much of
his attack against repeated insist
ence Of the Russians that they had
the right to determine which mat
tiers were substantive and which
procedural.
The excessive claims made for
the use Of the veto have stultified
the work Of the Security Council
and have undermined confidence in
1t and lessened the Councils ability
to deal effectively with the matters
brought before It," Mr.. Hasluck de-
clared and added:
by employing the veto as an in
strument of national policy, a per-
ma1ent member, by SO acting, has
forgotten its representative capacity
and its obligations under the Char
ter to act ON behalf Of all other
members.
Stressing that Australia was not
asking for revision of the Charter
at this time, Mr.. Hasluck declared
that the only hope for making the
Council work rested in steps such
as these:
/. Moderation on the part of the
Big Five permanent Council MEM
bers in exercise Of their right of
veto.
2. An increased measure Of con-
s,iltation and spirit OF give and
take among permanent members
therhselves In an endeavor to achieve
that measure Of great power unan-
unity which is necessary for the
smooth working OF the Security
Council and which they themselves
are pledged to devote to the purpose
and principles OF the U. N.
8. A development by the Council
of recognized procedures which
would enable it to discharge its
duties in a uniform way without the
necessity of taking repeat votes at
each stage in the process of con-
Citation or settlement and thus
placing q recurrent strain on the
principle of unanimity.
Connally Speaks Tomorrow.
Mr.. Hasluck did not mention
France, which invoked the veto
once during voting on the Spanish
case. The three other permanent
members have not vetoed.
Senator Connally, American dele
gate, was expected to present the
United States viewpoint on the
veto issue tomorrow.
In addition to the Australian
proposal for review of the entire
question, the committee also has
before 1t a proposal by Cuba to
revise the Charter and eliminate
that special voting right and a
similar resolution from the Philip
pines.
Senator Connally, 1t was learned,
would suggest that a recommends
ton be made that the Security
Council itself rework its rules of
procedure to effect restricted use
of the veto in the future.
The United States is opposed to
abolishing the veto at this time,
as are the other members of the
Big Five.
Warning by South Africa.
Meanwhile, the Union of South
Africa appeared headed for defeat
on her proposal to annex her South
African mandate. But, in the face
Of this threat, South Africa warned
yesterday that she would administer
the former German colony as an
(See q. N, Page A-4)