Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-11-17
BEHIND
The NEWS
Paul
MalIon

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10
w The tempo of coming ac-
ton upon matters of such ur-
gent concern during the cam
paign-so urgent in fact as 10
raise the hair on many a voters
heads apt to be much slower
than generally supposed.
The peace. for instance, can
not take final form before
spring. Undersecretary Stet-
tinius already has said MOTH
ing much can be done about
new negotiations until after the
first of the year.
Since then there has been
talk of the top men getting to-
gether, and some news on that
matter is likely to develop
shortly. But the schedule seems
10 provide negotiations through
the winter and announcement
of final agreement in the
-spfiHg-either- just before or
after the time Mr.. Churchill
told the British he expected the
war to be over.
THE "one-tenth' of disagree
Il ment at Dumbarton Oaks,
by the very delay in reaching a
settlement, is assuming larger
proportions, which verifies the
observation carried in this col
umn at the time that the pro-
portion of 'nine-tenths agree
ment" as officially announced,
must have been measured by a
yard stick on the words OF the
text. rather than the funda-
mental Importance of the mat
ter.
While public discussion has
centered around means of hold
ing down Germany and Japan
forever, it is apparent that the
peace of the supposedly new
world into which we are coming
will depend mainly upon the
practises and relations Of the
victorious nations, the ones
which have the arms.
That point of how to handle
disputes in which the United
Nations become involved was
the one upon which disagree
ment came at Dumbarton.
This and other practical mat
tiers of the peace now are likely
TO be discussed in a more realis-
tic way here, now that the CAM
paign is over. This does not, OF
course, apply to official discus
sion which will be limited by
the administrations desire to
keep Congress from opening the
subject while the negotiations
are in progress.
THERE are other equally inn
Il portant related phases for
any realistic discussion Of the
subject, for instance the arma-
ment question-not from an is
sue of isolationism or interna-
tionalism, but on how TO keep a
just and durable peace.
This war, as you may have
read in this spot before, grew
out of secret ornaments. II
Britain or France knew what
Hitler had stacked up under
ground at home in the way Of
assaulting weapons, they, as the
originally perior powers,
might have stopped him in time,
with or without an international
peace force, with or without a
league.
Indeed. the crisis of the war
turned on secret weapons. II
Hitler had known what Russia
had. he would never have in
vaded and lost the war. The
earlier Russo-Finnish war made
the whole world believe even
poor little Finland as she was
then known, when we were taxi
ing up collections for her, could
throw off the Russian army
which was universally supposed
to be inferior-and Hitlers Sc
cret police had no better in
formation.
TEiE question OF control Of
Il ornaments, therefore, in ell
reality would seem to have as
much to do with the question
of peace, war and self defense
as any other point. The problem
clearly is to prevent secret
re-arming by any one, Russia.
the United States, Britain or
possibly Mexico, the mention Of
Mexico not being entirely face
tious in view of the develop
ment of the rocket bomb.
A formula for satisfactory
inspection of ornaments of ev-
cry nation may be difficult to
reach, in view of the historic
policy of Russia.
These are important non
political matters, less advertised
in current popular discussions
and in a somewhat more rea-
liStic basis than the campaign
arguments, but likely to slow
down the tempo of coming ac-
ton.
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