Evening star., 1945-05-17
u. S. Seen in Attempt
To Salvage Conference


ToSoIvoge Conference
Principle of Collective Security
Manaled at Yalta, Says Writer
By David Laurence
SAN FRANCISCO, May 1.-THE
American delegation has deliberately
compromised its own differences in
transcendent attempt to salvage out of
the San Francisco Conference some
sort Of lip-service, If nothing else, to the
principle Of collective security and
world organization which had been Sc
verely mangled first at Yalta and later
here by the Russian insistence on an
exemption Of her own defensive agree
ments and regional arrangements.
The new proposal omits mention of
the Act of Chapultepec and merely says,
in effect. that any or all regional ar
rangements which are based on CO.
operative action for defense against
armed attack are valid, and that if the
security council doesn't act the mem
bers OF the regional pact may do so.
The British are delighted with the So
luton for reasons that have nothing to
do with pan-American problems. For
the new setup means that, if the Rus
sian veto power ever paralyzes action on
the continent of Europe, a set of al
hances can be developed almost over
night whereby nations with common in
terests can act against an armed attack
or threat thereof whenever the secur-
ity council has failed to act.
Will Russia Agree?
This is really another sort Of veto
power. 1t is reminiscent of the checks
and balances in our own constitutional
system. The main question is whether
the Russians will agree to it. The text
has been forwarded to Moscow, where
it undoubtedly will be carefully exam
ined.
The Russians, however, have insisted
that their Franco-Russian and their
Czech-Russian alliances, which pledge
military action in the event of renewal
OF aggression by Germany, are to be
outside the United Nations charter. If
they fail to accept the latest proposal.
then the Latin Americans will insist
that the Act of Chapultepec must also
be considered outside of the United Ma
tions charter altogether.
1t is doubtful whether the Russians
Will disagree. For in the last press con-
ference held by Foreign Commisssr
Molotov before he left here, a written
statement referring to the Franco-Rus-
sian and Czech Russian treaties was
issued which said:
Similar treaties are feasible between
other countries such as between Britain
and France"
1t Is true Mr.. Molotov was speaking
concretely of treaties to prevent renewal
OF aggression against Germany. Senator
Vandenberg, of course, proposed a five
power pact along those very lines last
January. but if the principle of separate
! alliances of defensive nature are per-
missible for one purpose, and the Sc
curlty council is not to be allowed tn
junction therein. then it is logical for
block OF states in Western Europe to be
formed to accomplish the same defen-
slve purposes as between each other.A
Poses Important Question.
The Russians probably will argue that
treaties against a renewal of aggression
by Germany are one thing and treaties
to protect member states as against
each others possible aggression Is quite
another. The new arrangement, which
permits any group of nations to act in
seH-oefense, therefore, poses an import
ant question for Russia to decide. If
she agrees, a step forward or at least a
recovery OF lost ground may be said to
have occurred.
The American and British delegations
thought it worthwhile to risk teupo-
rarlly bit of displeasure from the
Latn American sphere in order to at
tempt once more to get the principle of
collective security back into the charter
even though limited heretofore bv the
commitment so unwisely made at Yalta
This gave each big power veto over
1he ordering of force by the security
councll-something that has hung like
mlllstone around the neck of the San
Francisco Conference ever since it con:
vened.
One must concede that the American
oelegation is striving nobly to pave the
way Tor some system of collective Sc
curlty, even though it is approached for
the time being through the paths of re-
gionalism.
decision to omit the provisions of the
Act OF Chapultepec or any mention Of il
from the United Nations charter means
OF course, that a supplementary. treaty
between the inter-American states to
assure the use of Armed Force as a MIL
tual guarantee against aggression will
nave to be negotiated and ratified nv
the United States Senate.
Ihis was contemplated at Mexico CITY
but the Latin American states wonl6
nave been better satisfied if the whole
IDEA could have been merged with the
United Nations charter and agreed to
by the Senate. The American delepa-
tlon'. which includes the inf1uentia,
senators Vandenberg and connallv
however, has been pledged to ratifv such
separate treaty. =
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