Evening star., 1943-04-29

China. They tell |x
lis also that D4S8
some of the gov David Lawrence.
ernments of the smaller countries
whose exiled representatives main-
tain Offices in London are being told
the details of agreements reached
between President Roosevelt and
British Foreign Secretary Anthony
Eden or Prime Minister Churchill
What is the nature of those secret
agreements. Is it possible that the
President is engaging in the same
kind of secret conferences that
helped to produce international dis
trust when the Versailles conference
was in progress? Then, too, 1t was
revealed that secret guarantees or
commitments had been made during
the World War which were guiding
the policies of certain governments
behind the scenes.
People Should Know.
The American people have a right
to know the facts. The Senate For
eign Relations Committee at least
has the right to know them in
confidence, if they cannot be told
to the public. Does the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee know
what commitments have been made
in behalf of the United States to
Great Britain? Does it know of all
the pledges and guarantees that
have been given?
When Mr.. Eden was here re-
Gently, it was announced that there
was no need for written agree
ments, but that "gentlemen's agree
ments" were sufficient. 1t was as
sumed at the time that these re-
lated solely to the conduct of the
war or to relations between the
United States and Russia. 1t was
not supposed that anything so tam
gible as plan for policing the world
through the four nations-Britain,
Russia, China and the United States
had been proposed.
1t Is most unfortunate that the
American people should get their
information about our foreign policy
in press dispatches from London.
Some hint of what President Roose-
velt has in mind for the postwar
world was given in a recent article
In the Saturday Evening Post en-
titled "Roosevelts World Blue
print" by Forrest Davis.
big Four Would Rule.
1t can be taken for granted that
such fairly detailed outline as Mr..
Davis presents would not have been
published unless it was authori-
tatively obtained. In that article,
MIR. Roosevelt seems to discard the
idea of universal league or asso-
citation of nations and leans more
to the idea of four big policemen in
the world.
The little nations like Belgium,
Holland, Czechoslovakia, Poland
Greece, Yugoslavia, Norway, Den
mark and Sweden-proud and in
dependent peoples-are evidently to
be expected to fall in line and let
the big four run the world. And will
France be relegated to secondary
position? Gen. Giraud said the
other day that any plan which
doesn't recognize France as a Co
equal" In the postwar world is in
credible.
All Of this is contrary to the
League of Nations setup, wherein
all nations appeared as sovereign
equals and where the obligations to
preserve and protect territorial in
tegrity were to be shared alike by
all nations, though it was recognized
that the military contribution of
each might differ.
There has been a hint in one of
the London dispatches that the
smaller nations might be grouped IN
sort of council and that some day
some of them might have represen-
tation on the larger council. some
what as was done In the League of
Nations Covenant. But such a plan
seems at variance with the pub
lished world blueprint" idea.
Secrecy Troubled Wilson.
"The scheme" says London dis
patch to the Chicago Sun by Fred
erick Kuh, an experienced observer
evidently proposes that under the
four power directorate and eight
power council of small nations
there would be a regional council
and under them federations. Ac-
cording to one version. the United
States would be member of the
four-power body and also belong to
the council OF Asia but would remain
aloof from the council of Europe"
What does all this mean? Who Is
saying what membership the United
States will or will not accept in an
international council? Who Is al
tempting to speak for the American