Evening star., 1945-12-30
Much Promise Seen
In the Coming Year
Groundwork Held Ready for
Fruition of Peace Hopes
BIZ Joseph H. Baird.

6y JOSepH II. 6uITu.
The administration holds high hopes
as the year ends that 1916 will be a
period of fruition in the field of world
affairs for policies and organizations
designed to maintain peace and eco
nomic stability.
These hopes, often darkened during
the past six months by quarrels between
the former Allies, received new i'm
petus at the year end from four major
developments:
l. The Big Three agreement at Mos
COW for United Nations control of
atomic energy, for cooperation in basic
policy-making in Japan and for an
early peace conference to write treaties
with Germany's minor partners in the
Axis.
2. Coming into effect Of the Breton
Woods agreements for creation OF an
international bank and an international
monetary fund to insure the stability of
currencies.
3. Definite plans for the first meet
ing of the United Nations Organiza-
ton in London next month.
4. The passage by Congress of a
s1,350000,000 authorization for the
United Nations Relief and Rehabili-
tation Administration which insures its
operation during the coming year in
the war-devastated countries of Europe
and the Far East.
Whether any of these programs, with
the exception of the third, would be
realized had remained highly ques-
tionable until the past two weeks. Now
that they are all assured, policy making
officials of the administration can start
the new year with the feeling that
although many difficult and dangerous
problems lie ahead at least the ground
work for solid achievements has been
laid and the task for 1916 will be to
erect the superstructure of new and
stable postwar order.
World efforts to establish peace and
stability during the coming year will
begin with the first meeting of the
United Nations Assembly in London on
January 10. At this conference, the
wotld'S second effort in this generation
to establish universal reign of law and
order will assume form and substance
with the actual creation of the UNO,
the setting up of secretariat and the
election of nonpermanent members of
the 11-nation Security Council
Also, in accordance with the Moscow
agreement of the Big Three Foreign
Ministers, the Assembly will be asked to
set up a commission to formulate poll
cies for the control of atomic energy in
an effort to make mankind's most start
ling scientific discovery boon rather
than a CHASTITY threat
March and April probably will see the
drafting by the Big Three Foreign Min
listers of treaties for the restoration of
peace with Rumania. Hungary, Bull
garia Italy and Finland. On formu-
lating terms for italy. France will par
ticipate.> These drafts, according to the
Moscow agreement, must be ready not
later than May for submission to a
general peace conference of the 81
Allied nations that played a substantial
military role in the war.
This conference probably will set A
pattern for a later one to make final
terms of peace with the two major Axis
powers, Germany and Japan. But that
may still be far away, certainly later
than the coming year.
Early summer will see the convocation
here of an international trade confer
ence, where, the administration hopes,
high tariffs, quota systems and other
impediments to the free flow of goods
among nations will be removed in the
interest of world prosperity.
American experts already have draft
ed an elaborate set of principles which
have been agreed to by the British, to
accomplish these ends. One major de-
velopment already has given reason for
| hope that the conference will be sue
cess. Great Britain, as part of the
recent Anglo American economic agree
ment under which it obtained a $440o.-
100000 credit (subject to congressional
approvaD, already has agreed to aban-
don the empire preference system of
tariffs. long a stumbling block to q
lowering of world rates.
The coming year probably will see a
long succession of financial missions
coming to Washington to obtain credits
to restore their war-shattered econo-
mics Thus far the British have been
the only people to obtain the promise
of a direct Treasury loan, although
sizable credits have been granted by the
nations, including 100000 advance
to France.
Both Soviet Russia and Poland have
openly expressed their hopes of obtain
ing Treasury loans for reconstruction.
Moscow wants to obtain $4,000, 900 900,
while Warsaw has set no amount thus
far. Doubtless they will be Joined by
China and other war-torn countries in
seeking funds here.
Despite the optimistic factors set
down in the first part of this review,
there are still number of dark clouds
on the international horizon.
One giving serious concern to the
State Department is Soviet Russian
policy in the Near East. Recent state
ments in the Moscow press indicate
rather clearly that Russia is preparing
to bring strong pressure against Turkey
to obtain the two Provinces of Kars and
Ardahan. Meanwhile, the Soviet have
engineered rebellion in the Iranian
Province of Azberbaijan in an attempt
to secure foothold in that country.
Both moves are an obvious effort to