In the name of my delegation I should like to associate myself with those speakers who have paid such a moving tribute to the memory of that great man, Fiorello La Guardia. I know that when the news of his passing reaches my country, there will be very deep and genuine regret.
The Netherlands delegation had originally not intended to take part in the general debate. We preferred this time to elucidate our views with regard to the different questions on the agenda as each came up in turn for discussion. However, as it appears that most of the Members of the United Nations are participating in this debate, the Netherlands does not wish to remain silent, the less so as silence might conceivably be erroneously interpreted as evidencing a lack of interest. Such a lack of interest my country is far from feeling.
Quite the contrary, from the very beginning, the Netherlands has been among the staunchest and foremost supporters of the United Nations. From the time of the signing of the Charter at San Francisco, the vast majority of my countrymen have been confident that this time we had succeeded in creating an international organization which, although subject to certain limitations, really would be capable of maintaining peace and security in conformity with the principles of justice and international law.
Great hopes had been entertained in this respect in my country, which had suffered so grievously during the war. These hopes and these expectations still exist, but especially within the last year, certain doubts and fears have arisen. At the same time, the people in my country have come to realize more clearly than ever before that the present unsatisfactory state of affairs in which the United Nations appears to be powerless to intervene is, in the last resort, the result of the existing lack of harmony and understanding among the great Powers.
It is unfortunately almost a truism to say that we are passing through a critical period of the world’s history. The Secretary-General of the United Nations in his very able report has said the same thing, although in somewhat more circumspect language.
Nevertheless, my Government is still convinced — and I may say, just as convinced as it was a year ago when the representative of the Netherlands spoke in the general debate — that there Is no fundamental necessity for the world to be split in two, no necessity for us to give up our idea of one world. During this session of the General Assembly we intend to work with all the energy and power at our command towards avoiding any such split and permanent dissension.
In the economic field our nation is prepared to collaborate closely with all other nations of the world towards recovery and restoration. The success of the tripartite “Benelux” customs union is, we feel, an important step in the right direction.
Far from suspecting that the so-called Marshall Plan might tend to bring Europe within the economic, and possibly even the political sphere of influence of the United States, we gladly welcome this plan, because we believe that it will open the way to the sorely needed economic reconstruction of European countries.
With regard to the Indonesian question, which is still on the agenda of the Security Council and to which reference was made on Thursday by the honourable representative of the Soviet Union in a way which I do not wish to make a point of debate, I would only say that we are confidently, but impatiently, awaiting the report of the consular representatives at Batavia which was requested by the Security Council. We are second to none in hoping that no delay will occur in the drawing up of this report.
Furthermore, we warmly welcome the recent decision of the Belgian and Australian Governments to choose the United States of America as the third country to sit on the commission of three countries which will tender their good offices to the Netherlands and the Republic of Indonesia. This commission was instituted by the Security Council and had the warm approval of both parties. We are happy to know that the United States has accepted this invitation. These decisions make it possible for the commission to get to work immediately, and we sincerely trust that it will be entirely successful in its efforts to bring about a peaceful settlement of this difficult matter.
The eminent representative of the United States of America touched upon the veto question in his speech the other day. I do not want to go into any detail here regarding our position with respect to this problem. However, I should like to state, in general, that any endeavour to limit the use of the veto to such exceptional cases, as was clearly intended, if not by the letter, then at least by the spirit of the declaration of the five permanent members of the Security Council at San Francisco, will find support from the Netherlands delegation.
In the same line of thought, a renunciation by the great Powers of their right of veto in matters regarding the admission of new Members would be heartily endorsed by us.
Likewise we will be happy to support the suggestion of the delegation of the United States for the establishment of an interim committee of the General Assembly, on peace and security, the more so, because this idea closely resembles a proposal put forth by the Netherlands delegation at the Executive Committee and the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations in London in 1945.
Judging from what we know of the progress of the work of the Atomic Energy Commission during this past year, there does not seem to exist much reason for optimism with regard to the results of its deliberations. The Netherlands, which was a member of the Commission until the end of last year, does not hesitate to associate itself with the conclusions reached by the majority of the members.
However, it is to be hoped that the deadlock now existing in that Commission between the majority and the minority will finally be broken and a general agreement reached, for mankind has come to realize to what a great extent its future happiness and well-being depend on an adequate international control and the proper use of this mysterious force.
The Commission on Conventional Armaments should, in our opinion, take up its task with energy and perseverance and work out a practical programme which may be put into effect at the earliest possible moment.
In conclusion, I desire, in the name of my delegation and my Government, to express the hope that this session of the General Assembly may, under the blessing of the All-Highest, prove to be successful and will be looked back upon in history as a very real achievement in the march of humanity towards lasting peace.