Evening star., 1946-12-13
|RockeieIIer's 5 Offer
|WiII Be Submitted
For Assembly OK
BY the Associated Press


LAKE SUCCESS, N. Y, Dec. 13.-
The United Nations Headquarters
Committee, having decided to accept
John D. Rockefeller, jr.'s proffered
gift OF an $8,50o,0Oo piece Of Man
haitian real estate, will meet this
afternoon to empower Secretary
General Trygve Lie to accept the
property.
| Both steps were contained in an
American resolution presented to
the committee last night by War
rem r. Austin, chief American dele
gate. which, when adopted by the
committee, will be submitted Tor
approval Of the entire q. N. As
sembly.
The vote in the 54-nation COM
mittee indorsing the first clause OF
Mr.. Austin's resolution, that ac-
cepting the Rockefeller gift, was 80
| to 7, with six delegates abstaining
Eight committee members were abb
sent or did not participate in the
vote.
The action may end more than
year of indecision and wrangling
over the location of the world peace
capital, debate which appeared
settled by decision to settle in
Westchester County, N. " voted by
the General Assembly In London
early this year.
This decision is repealed under
provisions Of Mr.. Austin's resolu-
ton.
Bitter Last Ditch Fight.
Advocates of San Francisco and
the Presidio in that city in particu-
lar, staged a bitter last-ditch fight
against New York as the U. N. home,
under Australia's leadership.
Australian Delegate Norman J. O
Maxim declared the committee was
being imposed on In being asked to
accept an offer which had been be-
fore 1t less than 40 hours. He was
vehement in his denunciation Of a
hasty decision and was joined by
representatives of India, Saudi Ara
bia, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria.
France, which also objected to the
speedy acceptance of the Manhat-
tan site, ahstained from voting.
China abandoned the ranks of
those advocating San Francisco and
voted for New York.
The Rockefeller offer includes ap-
proximately 18 acres of land be-
tween First avenue and Franklin D.
Roosevelt drive and extending from
Forty-second to Forty eighth street
on Manhattan's midtown East Side.
Particularly jubilant over the
speedy end Of the committees ex-
haustiye discussions of the site issue
was Georgi Saksin, Soviet delegate,
who last week had declared Russian
delegates would not attend U. N.
sessions If the permanent headquar-
tiers were not located on the East
coast of the United States, prefer
ably in or near New York City.
Two-Thirds Vote Necessary.
LII NlCIlCA al <AcoChAbAys eAAC VIC"
cision to accept Mr.. Rockefeller's
offer and the corollary New York
City offer to provide adjoining small
tracts to round out the site, will
require a two-thirds majority for
ratification. But it was expected
today that delegations absent from
the committee last night and q
possible change Of attitude by New
York's opponents would provide the
necessary So votes. "a
The committees vote eliminated
for the present two other strong
contenders for the headquarters site
in addition to San Francisco-the
cities of Philadelphia and Boston.
A subcommittee, which inspected
the site offered by Mr.. Rockefeller,
and the area now occupied by ga
RACES, bars, slaughter houses and
tenements in a neighborhood noted
for dead end kids" reported 1t
would be excellent for construc-
ton of vertical type headquar-
ters."
The U. N. secretariat already was
planning an international compete
ton to select the architect for what
was generally assumed would be q
skyscraper development resembling
Rockefeller Center.