Evening star., 1946-11-25
Britain Urges Check
On Troop Inventory
BY U. n. inspectors
BY The Assoeiussd Psess

LAKE SUCCESS, N. r. NOV. Z5.-
The big power battle. over conflict
ing proposals for a United Nations
troop inventory was complicated fur
ther today by i British proposal
that all troop figures be subject to
verlfication by a y. N. Inspection
unit.
The British position was disclosed
by Philip j. Noel Baker, British Air
Minister, shortly after 1t was learned
that the United States delegation
had decided to oppose any move to
inject an inspection provision into
the troop inquiry. Russia also is
known to be opposed to such plan.
Speaking before the 54-nation
Political Committee of the General
Assembly, Mr.. Noel Baker rejected
the Soviet proposal as inadequate"
and substituted what amounted to
virtually an entirely new resolution
for the one British Foreign Secre-
tary Ernest Bevin had offered previ-
ously.
Combination Plan Withdrawn.
He announced that he was with
drawing the proposal to combine the
troop inventory plan with the COM
mittees scheduled debate on dis
armament and then proposed:
/. That the inquiry be broadened
to include troops at home, as well
as those abroad.
Q. That the U. N. set up a unit
to verify any information reported
on troops by member nations.
The new British proposal met
some objections and then immedi-
ately raised others which some dele
gates believed might be even more
serious. The Russians had pro-
tested against the proposal to link
talks of troop census with discus
sions of their four point arms re-
duction plan but at the same time
they had objected to giving informa-
ton on troops at home until the dis
armaments talks started.
Verification Controversial.
The United States, on the other
hand, had agreed to combining the
census with the arms debate, but
had insisted on including data on
all troops, both at home and abroad.
The most controversial issue, how
ever, appeared to be the proposal
for verification of information re-
ported.
Mr.. Noel Baker said 'tverification
is not only a question of good faith,
but one of technical Importance
as we'll" He said verihcation Of
all aImaments data is necessary,
since every one must be satisfied
that they are facts"
Great Britain, he said, is ready
for any commission to verify "on
the spot" any information sub
mitted by the British government,
because this would give the world
confidence in the United Nations"
What objection could there be
against verification?" he asked.
"None of us want to hide the facts. =
Turing to his proposal that facts
be submitted on troops at home,
he said this information lis Moth
ing to be ashamed of and always
was published previously"
Mr.. Noel-Baker suggested that the
date Of the information submitted
should be January 4, 194E instead
Of November l. 1916, as proposed
by Russia.
Need Data From All.
Declaring that the Soviet resolu-
tion In its present form would apply
only to the big powers, Mr.. Noel
Baker said that for this reason alone
it was seriously defective"
TT would falsify the collective
systems of security of the United
Nations from its very beginning,
he said.
IF we need information to make
agreements" he said, I'VE need in
formation from all 81 Of the United
Nations members"
Australia was reported ready today
with resolution calling on the y. N.
Assembly to censure Russia for her
stand against limiting the use of the
Big Five veto.
Informed quarters said Australian
Delegate Paul Hasluck had drafted
such a proposal and would offer 1t
today or tomorrow.