The loss of vote could come in January. In the past, China, France and Russia kept their vote in the General Assembly after they refused to pay some assessments. But chronic indebtedness of the United States is so resented by its allies as well as others that a showdown cannot be avoided unless Washington pays up the minimum amount needed to keep the vote.

Twenty-seven members were unable to vote as of May 11 last. Article 19 of the charter says that a member nation will have no General Assembly vote if the amount it owes exceeds its contributions for the previous two years. But the Assembly could allow a member to vote if it considers failure to pay as beyond its control.

The warning about the possibility of losing votecame in a new study by the General Accounting Office on UN's financial problems and the arrears owed by the United States. The study was requested by members of the Congress, some of whom have expressed scepticism about how much United States owes the United Nations.

United Nations Undersecretary for Management Joseph Connor was quoted in the Times as saying the study is important for what it says. ``And what it says is that the regular budget deficit is growing, that peacekeeping cash is declining, that total resources available to the organisation are diminishing,'' he said.

Connor said the United Nations kept afloat by raiding its peacekeeping budget, postponing payments to troop contributors and commercial suppliers and resorting to other financially imprudent measures.