The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-03-02
By RAYMOND CLAPPER

mentary machinery Of the United
Nations apparently is about to
come into existence.
We learn from the significant
Toronto address by Sumner Welles,
undersecretary Of state, that the
United States intends at once 10
undertake discussions with other
members of the United Nations.
Secretary Welles. like many
others. feels that it is dangerous
to delay in creating machinery
through which the United Nations
can work after the war. The start
toward that. as indicated in his
Toronto address is 10 be a most
tentative and modest one.
The proposal in hand now
j. that the United Nations
should set mp machinery for
the purpose of assembling
and studying all international
aspects of the problem OF
freedom from want. In this
proposed study of how to
achieve freedom from want,
questions of unemployment
after the war, of trade rela-
tons. gold and currency prob
lens, and international invest
ment would be examined.
Evidently this is what President
Roosevelt had IN mind the other
day when he told his press con-
ference that a United Nations
conference was under considera-
ton to discuss plans for a post
war international food supply
program, and TO prevent famines
or SURPRISES. Now it appears that
the program actually is broader
than that of food supply alone.
Secretary Welles has long been
pressing for some kind of start
toward giving enduring structure
to the United Nations.
At Toronto he voiced again the
thought that he and many others
have expressed repeatedly, when
he said that there would be utter
disaster" if we came to the end
of the war without providing
some means by which the nations
could collaborate in recovery
policies and in assuming joint re-
sponsibility for preserving peace.
There had been hopes that some
thing more substantial and more
extensive might be developed soon,
something in the nature OF an ex-
ecutive body for the United Ma
tions. Such an organization should
have been in existence TO take over
the civilian side of the North Afri-
can affair. But that has not mate
rialized, and there is no sign Of
such development soon.
The project for putting a United
Nations group to work studying
the problem of freedom from want
is a step toward the end in mind.
It isn't a very aggressive step. In
fact it is just barely perceptible
progress because il is no very
great achievement TO persuade ma
lions to appoint representatives to
meet together and discuss how
they can provide employment after
the war, how the world can be fed,
how international investment might
be developed. It is in fact dis
cussion of how the resources Of
the United States may be used m
helping to restore the wounds of
the world after the war.
That's a beginning. A beginning.
however modest, is TO be wei
coined, for the way is long and
hard, and il is time that the jour-
ney was begun.
So while | don't think any
Notwithstanding step il being
taken, II is a realistic move.
As Secretary Welles says. If
suCn stuuN anu uiotu5'tohS
are not begun now. the vari-
Gus governments may allow
divergent views to crystalline
and make any agreement
hopeless. And if there Is no
peace, then We have the pros
pect of only brief interlude be-
fore a worse war begins.
But this is 'island-by-island'
method Of working toward peace.
II is too slow in the Pacific and
it is too slow in diplomacy. As
in the Pacific, broader, holder
strokes are necessary.
A United Nations executive
committee still is needed. One or
two reasons against it can be cited
and the only answer to them is TO
create the council and see who II
is that insists on staying out Of
the United Nations. l don't be-
heve any nation would stay out Il
il could get in. II there is such
nation we won't lose anything by
finding It out now.