Evening star., 1944-12-28
Allied Policies Council
Issue Seen Befoqqed
Roosevelt's Dismissal of Idea
Called Regrettable by Writer
By David Laurence


BY David Laurence
President Roosevelt was asked the
other day what he thought of the idea
Of council to discuss diplomatic poll
cies as between the Allies, just as the
combined chiefs Of staff Is vested with
the responsibility of dealing with mill
tary matters.
The President dismissed the sugges-
ton as just the comment of columnist.
He didn't identify which one he had in
mind, but despite that omission Sumner
Welles, who for long time served as
Undersecretary of State and who has
recently become columnist, now makes
the very same suggestion and refers
to the fact that this was urged upon the
President more than year ago.
1t doesn't make much difference who
originates these suggestions. The inn
portant fact Is whether they are any
good, and it is most regrettable that
the President turned away this particu-
lar idea as if it were not worthy of con-
sideration. Maybe the reason was that
the suggestion reflects somewhat on
Mr.. Roosevelts leadership in foreign
affairs, and most of us turn unpleasant
criticism aside by blaming some one
else or by some other smokescreen that
befogs the issue.
The idea of submitting to some coun-
Gil the problem of dealing with inter-
Allied affairs even in wartime has been
advanced not only by many newspapers
in their regular editorial columns, but
it has been put forward by leaders of
public thought who are trying hard to
help their Government formulate poll
cies looking toward an enduring peace.
Best Statement on Issue.
Perhaps the best statement of this
particular issue was made a few DAYS
before Mr.. Roosevelts press conference
by Clark Eichelberger, director of the
League of Nations Association and also
director of the Commission to Study
the Organization of Peace. He has just
returned from speaking trip across
the country in behalf Of the Dumbarton
Oaks agreement. He made public this
statement:
THE tension among the United Ma
tions is evidence of the necessity for
the creation of the United Nations or
ganization as quickly as possible In
order to establish the moral unity neces-.
sary to achieve future security and pros
perity. 1t is hoped that the statesmen
can meet soon to set up the United
n inn, ny liNn yy,
Dumbarton Oaks proposals If such a
conference cannot be held quickly a
provisional United Nations Council
could be created to function in the in
terlm. The statesmen might follow the
example OF the Aviation Conference,
which created provisional international
civil aviation organization to function
until the final organization could be
set up -.
1T is not so much power politics that
determines the policy of the great ma
tions as uncertainty about their future
The Russians have the largest land
frontier in the world to defend and a
devastated region to rebuild equal to
one-half of the United States. The
British, having liquidated all of their
foreign investments, and having sacri-
feed most of their foreign trade, look
toward an uncertain future in which
the loosening ties of empire place them
at disadvantage in comparison with
the cohesive entities Of Russia and the
United States. The smaller liberated
states must find their place within the
orbit Of some security and economic
system.
The absence of United Nations
organization creates a climate of uncer-
tainty in which alliances are already
being formed and spheres of influence
marked out. If the world organization
is not created before the war ends,
nations may take steps which will jeop-
ardize the future system of world
security. Whatever regional systems or
alliances are created should come within
the framework and in the spirit of the
world organization, whose creation,
therefore, is an immediate necessity.
| Postwar Disillusion.
| Forces of reaction set in with alarm
ing speed. The heroism of the struggle
for liberation gives way to quick disil-
lusionment when the battle is won. The
world should be organized while the
war is still going on, so that there MAJ
be no gap between the war and the
organization of the peace in which re-
action would thrive.
While 1t Is true that the organiza-
ton of the United Nations will be
created primarily for future world Sc.
curity and welfare and not to make the
German and japanese settlements, the
fact remains that the problems of the
war cannot be completely dissociated
from the problems of the peace. There
| will be no sharp break between war and
| peace. The problems of the peace con-
| front us while the war is going on. The
organization of the United Nations now
will facilitate the settlement of those
problems.
I'm the name of the men who have
died and who will die in this war, in
the name of their fathers and mothers
and loved ones, in the name of all ,uf-
fering humanity, an appeal should be
addressed to the statesmen to rise to
the supreme effort, to restore the moral
unity of the United Nations and to
solidify it by the immediate creation of
the United Nations organization"
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