The United Nations General Assembly opened hers today en a note indicating that the recommendations on Palestine made by the late U.N. mediator, Count Folke Bernadotte, are certain to win broad backing. Dr. Herbert V. Evatt, Australian Minister for External Affairs, was elected president of the Assembly.
Secretary-General Trygve Lie, addressing the session, said that the gathering opens “under the shadow of a tragedy which, only four days ago, befell us all through the brutal assassination of two servants of the United Nations in Palestine–Count Bernadotte and Col. Andre Serot.”
Emphasizing that the two “were killed in cold blood, by deli be rate assassination,” the U.N. Secretary-General said; “The death of these two brave and honorable men must demand full satisfaction from those who were responsible. It raises again, and more urgently than, ever before, the question of what the United Nations shall do to make certain, as far as is humanly possible, that its representatives will enjoy a maximum amount of protection in the future while performing their duties in areas of physical danger.
“This grave incident,” Mr. Lie continued, “would seem to make it evident to everybody that the United Nations in certain circumstances cannot depend on local authorities for the safety of its representatives and, consequently, must be prepared to ensure their safety by instruments of its own. I am sure that the General Assembly will wish to consider the measure which might be adopted in this direction and I shall be prepared, when the time comes, to present my views on the matter.”
CANADA WILL SUPPORT U.S. ATTITUDE ON PALESTINE
A spokesman for the Canadian delegation said that Canada would support the attitude on Palestine taken by the United States as outlined in a statement made here this morning to representative of the press by U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall. The statement said that the U.S. Government will back the recommendations of the late U.N. mediator which were made public yesterday. (See text or statement on page 2.)
The attitude of the French Government was indicated by Alexandre Parodi, head of the French delegation to the U.N., in a radio talk which he delivered last night following publication of Bernadotte’s recommendations. He commented favorably on Bernadotte’s suggestion that the Israeli frontiers be made continuous by acquisition of all the Galilee and surrender to the Arabs of the Negev. He also supported Bernadotte’s proposal for the internationalization of Jerusalem.
High tribute was paid to the late mediator when the Red Cross plane carrying the bodies of Bernadotte and col. Serot arrived at only airport here. Among those attending the ceremonies were U.N. Secretary-General Trygve Lie, Secretary of State George C. Marshall, Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, Paul Henri Speak of Belgium and other leading figures. Bernadotte’s coffin was transferred to a Sweden-hound plane.
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