The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-04-03
Brains And Experience
BY ARTHUR KROCK
WASHINGTON

newspapers served by the North American
Newspaper Alliance former President Hoover
has now, in four brief articles, given the pub
lie and the Governments of the United Ma
tons the product of his mentality and expert
ence with respect to the detectives of the San
Francisco conference on world security. The
practical common sense and foresight of what
Mr. Hoover modestly titled Some Additions
to the Dumbarton Oaks Proposals. make his
omission from the American delegation to San
Francisco the more remarkable.
1t is difficult to think of any other country
where its only living former Chief Executive
| would be excluded from such group. But
| in view of two other facts, the difficulty is
increased. These facts are that Mr.. Hoover
is veteran Of the Paris-Versalles conference
in 1919 where previous attempt was made to
set up world security system; and that his
book, The Problems of World Peace pub.
lished in 1912 Gin collaboration with Hugh Glib
SOM, was the source Of the fundamental ideas
that were reduced to writing at Dumbarton
Oaks. Also, Mr.. Hoover is not only a veteran
Of Paris-Versailles, he was in the top rank Of
President Wilson's advisers on the League Gov
enant. And, furthermore, he has had more
first-hand experience with the economic and
| social problems that follow conquest and lib
| Grafton than any other living man.
Only for personal reasons could citizen of
this distinction and equipment be obliged to
make his contribution in such a grave matter
| through books and the public press instead OF
in official committee and conference Had
these reasons been rejected by the President
as unworthy of the times and the need of the
world, Mr. Hoover, as his writings on the sub
| ject reveal, would have helped directly to in
sure the success of San Francisco and of the
postwar security system to be drafted by the
United Nations there.
The four articles are simply and clearly
written, and the suggestions they contain cut
| through many complications. Most important
are these:
| 1. There is little in the Dumbarton Oaks
draft that reflects the standards of future
conduct to which all nations must adhere if
war is to be minor and infrequent. ''We are in
danger of setting up a purely mechanistic body
without spiritual inspiration of soul, wrote
Mr.. Hoover, and he urged the inclusion OF
| these standards in the Charter. They are he
said, implicit in the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, the Fourteen Points, the Declarations
of Moscow and Yalta and the shattered codes
| of international law.
| 2. Since it may be years before the final
peace settlements are determined including
| boundaries, and since one reason for the fail
ure of the League of Nations was insistance
by the victors that the Versailles peace terms
were permanent, the Charter should provide
for periodic revision of these settlements-say
! every ten years-negotiated by Committee
on Political Rights which should be added to
the proposed economic and social committee
of the projected world organization.
g. There should be more accent on regional
peace-keeping machinery as the foundation
Of world peace-keeping system, to deal in
the first instance with all controversies that
might lead to war; In these small and inter-
mediate nations would have a greater voice
than they can have for years under the Dunn
barton Oaks Charter. And the anxiety of Amer
leans, among others, that they may find them
| selves involved in secondary problems all
over the earth will thus be relieved.
The regional method should also be employ
ed with the social, economic and political rights
committees and with the new world court
| 4 Total disarmament OF the enemy nations,
their internal order to be kept by a constabu-
larry should undelie the Charter, so that occu-
plying forces of 1000 soldiers each in Ger
many and Japan would suffice to keep these
| nations demilitarized-though these forces
would have to remain for a generation. But,
as corollary, agreement should be reach
ed at once on maxima of army, navy and air
power for the United Nations themselves, TAX
ing into account the burden of peace-keeping
on the Big Three for the first few years.
! 5. Not to our delegate on the Security Coun>
authority for vote by that delegate that
Gil, but to the President, should be gifen the
would engage the United States in war. And
his power should be limited by requiring the
President to abide by the decision of the ma
jority of joint Congressional committee on
foreign matters whether he should submit the
issue to the whole Congress.
This is not matter for San Francisco, but
| it is proposed for inclusion in treaty of
adhesion to the Charter of the world security
league that is intended to be written there.
6. AS many parts of the San Francisco
structure as possible should be set up tentative
ly so that time may be given to perfect them
in the light of change and experience.
These six points were the major ones made
by Mr.. Hoover in his newspaper articles. The
Government over which he once presided did
not ask for them But, if the unacknowledged
use of his 1912 book is a guide, and the for
mer Presidents wisdom is received according
to its need and value, the suggestions will af-
| feet the conclusions. New York Times.
-V
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