Evening star., 1944-12-10
Mr. Stettinius Looks
Hopefully to Future

HOpeTuIly 70 furure
Solution of Major Problems Seen
Within Hull Principles
| By Joseph H. Baird.
After taking his oath OF office as
Americas new Secretary Of State, the
first official act OF Edward r. Stettinius,
jr. was to issue statement saying that
he would do my utmost" to follow the
high principles. Of his veteran pre-
decessor, Cordell Hull So any forecast
of Mr. Stettinius' future policies would
follow the broad lines marked out dur
ing the past u years by the man into
whose Office he mas stepped.
But the term "high principles" Is not
synonomous with policies" used in the
| concrete sense. So the practical means
employed by the 44-year-old Virginian
to follow the high principles of the
73-year-old Tennessean may be quite
different from those that would have
been used by Mr.. Hull The former
Secretary was slow-moying and per-
suasive. His successor Is quick, dynamic,
disciple of aggressive action.
Mr.. Hulls legacy to Mr. Stettinius in
the Office of Secretary of State is three
immediate problems of major import
ance, not to mention host Of long
term ones The trio of constructive
tasks to which the new Secretary must
devote his mind today are:
/. An agreement among the big
three" powers on the points left at issue
in the Dumbarton Oaks security plan
and, after that, the organization of the
full-dress United Nations conference to
translate that plan into an effective
organization.
2. Solution of the Argentine problem
in such a manner as to stamp out the
seeds of Fascism in Latin America with
out, in so doing, disrupting the unity
so carefully nurtured by Mr.. Hull.
8. To maintain cordial relationship
and spirit of mutual trust between
the United States and Russia, despite
areas of incipient political conflict.
Mr. Stettinius, who headed the Amer
ican delegation at the Dumbarton Oaks
conference, is known to feel encouraged
over the prospect of fairly prompt
agreement among the United States,
Great Britain and Russia on the security
plan.
China, as one of the trainers, must
be consulted, too. But the Chinese last
summer showed a disposition to fall in
line readily with any reasonable plan of
international organization adopted by
the Western powers.
OF the three issues left open at Dunn
barton Oaks, by far the most important
and delicate was whether a member of
the security council should be permitted
to vote on dispute, involving the pos
sible use of sanctions, to which 1t was
party. Russia, according to reports,
insisted that it should, while the United
States and Great Britain took a con-
trary position. Other questions concern
the liquidation of the present League
OF Nations and the disposition of its
mandates, and the organization of a
world court.
1t has now been rather definitely de-
cided that there will not be another
Roosevelt -Churchill-Stalin meeting in
time to work out these issues. So the
immediate question is whether they shall
be resolved by a conference of the for
eign ministers Of the big three" or by
exchanges of views through diplomatic
channels. 1t is expected that the issues
at stake will be cleared up In time to
send out invitations for a full United
Nations conference to convene around
February l., although the schedule is
still flexible - -.g
Mr.. Stettinius, according to sources
close to him, may be expected to follow
MIR. Hull's policy of not recognizing the
pro-Fascist regime of Gen. Edelmiro
Farrell in Buenos Aires unless there is
radical change in its personnel or po-
lltical orlentation. Such changes might
involve. for instance, the stopping of
economic assistance to Axis firms in Ar
gentina. cessation of press attacks on
the United Nations and the making of
definite arrangements for free elections.
However, the new Secretary is not
expected to take any immediate action
toward the Farrell regime along the line
OF The mild economic sanctions imposed
last summer. His policy, at least tenn
porarily, will be to wait and see.
Probably his attitude is affected by
various reports now reaching Washing
ton pointing toward the probability that
the Argentine people themselves may
work out their own problem. Certainly
the State Department should prefer
this solution.
There are many indications that the
underground movement in Argentina
against Gen. Farrell and the "colonels
clique" i:. growing in scope and intensity.
AS the United Nations move closer to
victory in both Europe and Asia, there
is growing fear among the Argen-
tlnians OF being found at the end of the
war IN the role Of friend to the defeated
Axis. This may result in such intense
domestic opposition to Gen. Farrell and
his cabinet that either they will alter
their pro-Axis policies radically or else
step aside to make room for pro-
United Nations government.
The new Secretary is known to be far
more optimistic than some men high in
the Government over the possibility of
cordial relations with Russia, despite
the failure of the Dumbarton Oaks Con-
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