Mccloskey Contends Afro-asian Measure Not Inimical to Resolution 242

State Department spokesman Robert J. McCloskey said today that the Afro-Asian resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly yesterday “will not undermine (Security Council) Resolution 242.” Prior to the voting yesterday, United States Ambassador Charles W. Yost had warned delegates that the measure was pro-Arab, “divisive” and “a step backward,” and “will not facilitate but will create an additional obstacle to the resumption of negotiations and hence to the prompt carrying out of Resolution 242.” The apparent discrepancy between the two statements was seen by a UN source as a last-minute attempt by Mr. Yost to defeat the draft. During the assembly discussion yesterday on the various drafts Egyptian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad called the Egyptian-inspired Afro-Asian motion “an initiative for peace” and “a vital contribution to the success of the United Nations.” He voted against the Latin American draft. Ambassador Jose Pinera of Chile, who abstained on the Latin American resolution said he backed the Afro-Asian measure because it coincided with the provisions of Resolution 242. Japanese Ambassador Senjin Tsuruoka, who voted for both drafts, explained that he deemed them and the U.S. draft, which did not reach a vote, all in basic support of Resolution 242.

Ambassador Otto R. Borch of Denmark, said he had abstained on the Afro-Asian draft because it did not reaffirm Resolution 242 “to the same extent” as the Latin American, which he voted for. Ambassador Max Jakobson of Finland said his two abstentions were based on his desire to avoid a voting battle that could cloud the validity of Resolution 242. Edouard Longerstaey, Ambassador of Belgium, said he had abstained on the Afro-Asian draft because it was selective, while the Latin American planks were in full support of the Nov. 22, 1967 Security Council resolution. Canadian Ambassador Yvon Beaulne said he had abstained on the Afro-Asian measure because of imbalance and ambiguity, but had endorsed the Latin American one. Piero Vinci, the Italian ambassador, made the same argument as Mr. Beaulne. Carlos Ortiz de Rozas of Argentina, a co-sponsor of the Latin American draft resolution, explained that he had abstained on the other draft because it was competitive with his. Ambassador Robbert Fack of the Netherlands, who voted no on the Afro-Asian and yes on the Latin American, said he had sought to avoid unbalancing Resolution 242. Sir Laurence Mclntyre, the Australian envoy, supported that view too. British Ambassador Sir Colin Crowe explained his two controversial abstentions by saying that neither draft was wholly acceptable or objectionable.