Evening star., 1944-09-03
Sees Small Nations
Rights Well Protected

oO ssss ~~s0HuS
Rights Well Protected
Power to Act, However, Must
Rest With Major Countries
By Joseph H. Baird.
Some years ago the late Frank H.
Simonds, perhaps the most incisive
American commentator on foreign af-
fairs to write in the early postwar years,
produced book entitled Can America
Stay at Homer" In his examination
Of the basic factors determining the
attitude OF the average American to-
ward the rest of the world, he dis
cerned two distinct and rather para
doxical principles.
On the one hand. he said, the Ameri-
can mind tended toward q deep-rooted
isolation, based on the belief that life
here was far superior to European civ
ilization and that Europe was q hope
less hotbed of war and political strife.
But parallel to this trend toward isola-
tion, he pointed to another which he
called "the missionary spirit" showing
itself in IAN irresistible passion for in
ternational activity" and . desire to i'm
pose American ideals, customs and ira
ditions on the rest Of the world.
Mr.. simonds then drew this con-
clusion: THE conception of peace Is a
moral, not . political problem. the
Identification Of every international ac-
ton as q mission, not q negotiation, the
estimate Of foreign policy as an evan
gelical enterprise, not practical busi-
ness-these have been the views of the
great majority Of American idealists.
Perception Of the origin, nature and
limits Of these two instincts is, more
over, essential to any clear understand
ing Of American foreign relations in
the war and postwar years. For be-
tween these poles Of policy the country
has oscillated INCREASINGLY"
These observations of Mr.. Simonds
seem worth quoting at length because
Of their application to present trends
in American thought which have been
emphasized by congressional reaction
to the Four Power Security Converse
tions at Dumbarton Oaks.
Fully 90 per cent of the comment
which has been made on the conference
by Senators and Representatives, aside
from protests against the secrecy sur
rounding the talks, has concerned the
place that the small nations shall oc-
cupy in the postwar peace organization.
Most of the comment has been In the
nature either of fervent pleas that the
little countries be given an important
place in the council or violent protests
against supposed plans to stifie the small
nations.
In short, most of the comment has
appeared to be on a moral rather than
. political plane and to show little in
sight into the primary and all-impor-
tant problem of setting up an effective.
powerful organization which really will
prevent wars.
Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, the Repubh-
can presidential candidate, in his first
public statement on the conference.
centered his comment on the same phase
Of the matter. expressing concern lest
the small nations be coerced by the big
powers.
Aside from the traditional trends in
American thought on foreign policy
mentioned by Mr.. Simonds, there are
other political factors that explain the
concern Of Gov. Dewey and Congress
over the small state. In the last part of
the 10Th and the first part of this CEN
tury the major streams of immigration
small states of the Balkans as well as
from Western Russia, the area which
after Versailles became Poland and the
Baltic republics. 1t is natural that the
descendants of these peoples, even
though fundamentally Americans.
should have a strong emotional inter-
est in the fate of the nations of their
forefathers, and they are sizable factor
In the electorate.
What is said here is not intended to
be derogatory to the undoubted right of
the small states to have a real voice in
the council as we'll as the assembly of
the proposed league" But the issue,
which has loomed so important in public
debate, appears to be an artificial one.
None Of the "big three" powers at Dunn
barton Oaks ever has intended to ex-
clude the small countries from the coun-
ell; indeed the American plan is un-
derstood to give them. on a rotating
basis, Of the II seats.
The British and the Russians have not
placed themselves on record to the
exact number of temporary council seats
they favor, but both Sir Alexander
Cadogan and Ambassador Andrei A.
Gromyko in speeches before the con-
ference have made it evident that they
never intended that the council should
be the exclusive property of the big
powers.
However, there is one fundamental
problem involved in the establishment
of the council which seems to have re-
ceived little attention on Capitol Hill
that is that it should be, above all,
small, compact workable group capable
of taking fast and effective action when
aggression is threatened In this era
of highly mobile power when a great
aerial Strikinp force and a hich1v mo.