The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-06-29
THE AMERICAN PEACE PLAN

I'm A SPECIAL announcement whose issuance
was characterized by complete lack of fanfare
President Roosevelt made public a short time agt
5he basic outline of the peace plan of the United
States.
] What was published was not a complete plan
| out just a brief summary of the guiding ideas
which had been accepted after eighteen months OF
| preparatory work But the fact that the United
States government has taken the initiative ir
formulating the principles of the peace is IN ltsel1
a very big step forward AS war they are
know, those principles are excellent
In making the announcement, the President
stressed 'the entirely non-partisan nature of the
consultations in which the details of the plan are
to be worked out before it is presented to the
other nations.
"All aspects of the postwar program have
been debated in the cooperative spirit" he said.
'"rhis is a tribute to the political leaders who
realize that the national interest demands ma
tiona program now. Such teamwork has met the
Overwhelming approval Of the American people"
The implication of this is that the mistake
President Wilson made tWenty-siX years ago is
not going to be repeated. Wilson presented his
own peace plan to the world without having first
obtained the agreement Of the Republican Party.
AS a result, his work was destroyed right here at
home
Roosevelt has presented an American plan
whose acceptance by the American people may be
taken for granted and whose validity will not be
restricted to the duration Of any one combination
take the plan as an American proposal which is
not going to be reversed by a new administration
or by new combination of political forces in
Congress.
There is one question of great Importance
which the President has answered with completed
clarity, however, and his answer will undoubtedly
meet with the deserved approval of the over
majority of the American people,
The President has fatty rejected the idea of
some kind of world directorate consisting OF al
few Great Powers.
at is our thought" he said chat the organ
izaton would be a fully representative body with
broad responsibilities" Accordingly, "the organ
izaton would provide for council, elected annual
ly by the fully representative body of all nations,
which would include the four major nations and al
suitable number of other nations"
In other words the new organization would bel
very much like the old League of Nations There|
is to be no special body consisting only of the|
major nations" nor is the future council to bel
dominated by the big Four"
There is, however, one aspect OF the Pres-|
dents plan for the future council which regret,
and that is that the number of permanent seats is
limited to four There is a fifth nation, France,
whose permanent presence in the council VIII bel
necessary if the peace program is to|
work.
'The council would concern itself with peaceful
of international disputes and with thel
prevention of threats to the peace or breaches OF
,he peace" according to the Presidents announce
nent The various nations would maintain
adequate forces to meet the needs of preventing
var and Of making impossible deliberate prepara-
ion for war, and to have such forces available Tor
oint action when necessary.
So far, so good. But here too a problem arises
which badly needs further elucidation. What will
De the procedure for initiating this JOINT action
BY what mechanism will prompt and efficient
of the action necessary to prevent war
De assured?
OF course, not all the details of the plan could
,e set forth in brief statement whose obvious
purpose was to obtain general agreement about
he broad outlines of the peace plan. AS a first
tep, the statement has value which cannot be
President Roosevelt has indicated grand
,ision of the rule Of justice in world relations.
What is needed now is further elucidation about
he sword with which that justice is to be main
aimed.
WAGE KICKBACK IN OUR CAPITOL