LONDON -- The United Nations Assembly picked Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitri Manuilski by acclamation today as chairman of the powerful political and security committee.
At the third plenary session this afternoon, the Assembly elected seven vice presidents by acclamation. They were the chief delegates from the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, China, South Africa and Venezuela.
President Paul-Henri Spaak announced at the close of the session that general debate would start next week, and speakers should serve notice of desire to be heard.
Manuilski was nominated by Wellington Koo, the Chinese delegate, and seconded by the Belgian, Brazilian, French and Syrian delegates.
At Koo's request the election was by acclamation.
The political and security committee is one of the most important of the UNO since it will consider the resolution for an atomic energy commission.
Other chairmen elected were:
Economic and financial committee, Polish Minister of Finance Waclow Konderski; social, humanitarian and cultural committee, Prime Minister Peter Fraser, New Zealand; trusteeship committee, R.E. Maceachen, Uruguayan ambassador to Britain.
The chairman were elected after the Assembly engaged in its first debate on the size of the UNO steering committee.
The debate was between the big and little nations. Dr. Guy Perez Cisneros of Cuba appealed for equality and representation of all nations on such a committee. A recommendation is before the Assembly for a 14-nation steering committee.
"The assembly must decide if it prefers freedom of speech and equality of nations or an instrument which could endanger the faith the peoples have placed in the UNO," Cisneros said.
He feared a small steering committee would become a powerful body, making political decisions despite the fact that its recommendations will be subject to assembly approval.
The debate started during consideration of provisional rules of procedure for the assembly.
President Paul-Henri Spaak of Belgium appealed to the 51 United Nations to subordinate their particular interests to the general interests of the peace organization as a whole.
Spaak made his acceptance and address as president when the second plenary session opened at 10:30 a.m. He was elected yesterday in a contest against Foreign Minister Trygve Lie of Norway.
Spaak called upon the nations to abide by the decisions taken in the assembly "with good faith and good will."
"The League of Nations failed because of a lack of international spirit and predominance of particular over general interests," he said.
