Evening star., 1945-11-10
Stussen Commended
For Views on Bomb
Writer Says Ex-Governor Has
Taken Leadership on Issue
By David Laurence

. Taken Leadership on Issue
By David Laurence
Former Gov. Harold e. Stassen OF
Minnesota is back in the political lime
light. 1t begins to look as If he is going
to be about as independent minded as
Wendell Willkie in expressing opinions
on current questions.
Mr.. Stassen, now Navy captain, who
will be out of the service soon, has
spoken forthrightly about the atomic
bomb He thinks the plants of the
United States could be used to furnish
any more bombs needed, and these only
for an international air force, operating
under the United Nations.
This, OF course, is directly in line with
that school of thought which for the
last two or three years has been insist
ing that the world be policed by an in
ternational air force. 1t comes close to
the plan of many scientists of the atomic
bomb project who recently joined with
the world government" group in urging
that sovereignty be subordinated.
But Capt. Stassen is not ready yet to
support world government. He thinks
the subject should have further study
and that there should be an improve
ment in both national and local govern
ments everywhere in order that the ulti-
mate world government might be sue
cessful
Good Faith "Insufficient.s
The Stassen point of view is refreshing
because it grapples with the atomic
bomb problem on a practical basis.
Capt. Stassen is not willing yet to give
up the bomb to other nations because
That involves the matter of good faith
and trust, and the world is no better of
IN assuming that other nations. hereafter
are going to be more trustful of one
another when they possess the atomic
bomb than they were in the preatomic
bomb age He says:
"Au OF history says that good faith
alone Is not sufficient for the peaceful
relationship between men. Good faith
must be coupled with a framework of
order, of law and of justice. Under the
glVe-aWay alternative there would be
no guarantee of reciprocal openness of
information. We would, in effect, be in
creasing the armament of every other
individual United Nation. There is no
logical reason why each nation of the
world should have the power to destroy
otner nations. Balancing of power has
not proved in the past to be a road to
peace, but rather road to war"
Sentiment for Super State"
II the speech of Capt. Stassen means
tnat beginnings are to be made toward
thorough understanding of the prob
lems OF sovereignty, it can be regarded
as hopeful sign. Many of those ad-
Vocatlng world government" have
oeen putting the cart before the horse.
ihere Will be no submissiveness on the
part OF peoples everywhere to any single
international government to supervise
world analrs until there is a fundamen-
tai improvement in the relations be-
tween peoples.
The idea Of "super-state" has been
broached many times in history but not
until the atomic bomb was invented
| mas there been SO much sentiment for
1t inside the United States and Britain.
Inc theory, however, that a world gov
ernment will secure respect which a
federation OF governments will not
secure, has not yet been proved.
Limitations on sovereignty only re-
Gently have come within the realm of
practical debate and there is far more
sentiment today than 25 years ago for
nnding ways and means of cooperation
between nations, even if it means a
certain amount of restriction of sover-
eighty.
Specific Plan.
But, unfortunately, the question of
| sovereignty is not matter of writing
| on piece Of paper how much sover-
| eighty nation will give up or keep. It
Is a question of attitudes of peoples.
| Inc process Of educating peoples every-
! Where that they have common interest
Is IN its infancy. The atomic bomb NAV
accelerate understanding of the i'm
| portance OF world cooperation, but SO
| lar as some other countries are con-
cerned. they are even more bent on a
natlonahStlc course today than ever
before.
Capt. Stassen has taken the leader
| eAAAS AA PAOPooaAi6 SpCCI1lS pldI uIlOe[
which the atomic bomb shall not be
used by any single government and he
has overcome the main difficulty about
giving up the secret by insisting that
no more plants shall be built and that
the plants now in the United States
shall manufacture Is bombs for the use
OF the international air force, and then
stop. An International Atomic Bomb
Commission would constantly inspect
all nations to see that there were no
violations This is a compromise which
means in effect that, while other ma
tions may some day find the secret,
the use of the bomb ought not to be
sanctioned and that it should be an in
ternational crime for any country to
build any atomic bomb plants.
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