§ 46. Mr. George Craddockasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the inherent difficulties at Berlin and the United Nations organisation in obtaining agreement between representatives of nation States, elected by their peoples to maintain the interests of each of their own countries, he will take steps to create a forum through the revision of the United Nations Charter, or by other means, where the spokesmen will be not only the representatives of nation States, but those who can speak for the aspirations of mankind as a whole.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. All this seems very good but I doubt whether I shall live—or at any rate hold office— long enough to witness its entire fulfilment.
§ Mr. CraddockWill the Prime Minister recall his Copenhagen speech of 1950, when he said that it was essential to create an authoritative and powerful world order, and that unless effective 204 world government came quickly into action the prospects of peace and human progress were dark and doubtful? Is it not a fact that we have just had a European conference to settle the difficulties of Europe, that we have argued the British point of view, the French have argued the French point of view, the Americans theirs and the Russians theirs, and that we have had no result? Will the Prime Minister try to see that the U.N. is so widened as to embrace all these matters instead of their being settled on a purely sectional or regional basis?
§ The Prime MinisterIf I had had the power, which I should have relished, and which I should have been very glad to assume, I should not have made the United Nations organisation in its present shape or form. On the contrary, I always said that it ought to be based on regional organisations which should aim at drawing the largest and most important minds from large groups of nations and bringing them to a sort of super-assembly at the summit. But this view I was not able to put into force at the time, and I have not had any opportunity since.