The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-05-18
SAN FRANCISCO

The chief controversies here
have shown how necessary it IS
that tine United States should con-
tinue in the role which President
Roosevelt sought for it, as the
mediating and unifying power
among the United Nations. 1t IS
easy to become diverted from 1t
by the many pressures, and to be,
come entangled as partlsans ana
advocates of particular Interests
and special causes.
President Roosevelt sought al.
ways to avoid ENHANCEMENT OF
this kind, and to keep clear the
distinction between supporting
our Allies and underwriting the
whole of their policy. By virtue OF
his war powers and his immense
personal authority, he managed to
cooperate without sacrificing the
independent position Of the United
States. We can see here that MS
independence was just as impor-
tant as his cooperation in stabl-
hzing the coalition OF the United
Nations and in holding it together.
It was personal diplomacy, sue
cessful while he was alive. With
his death it has become most
necessary to translate into explicit
policy, which American officials
understand clearly and follow
faithfully, the things about our
relations with our Allies, which
Roosevelt acted upon but left I'M
said.
The most significant difficulties
at San Francisco may be attribut-
ed to the fact that the United
States has drifted away from, and
has been Unanswered out of, its
central position as the mediator
power. This happened in regard to
Pan-America when Mr.. Rockefel-
Ter and Mr.. Stetti1ius allowed
themselves to get into the posi-
ton of having come forward as
the champions of a Latin-Ameri-
can block as against continental
Europe and the Soviet Union. This
was not a good position. 1t was
not in the interest of the inter-
American system nor of the world,
and it has deeply impaired the
chances Of giving authority to the
general assembly Of all the ma
tons, Of making it, as distinguish
ed from the great power combina-
ton in the security council, the
Z organ Of Democratic international
progress.
It was not necessary to pur-
chase the solidarity Of this hem
isphere by riding roughshod
through a world conference with
bloc Of twenty votes. The United
States is quite strong enough to
have insisted that our neighbors
show a wise moderation in the
presence Of nations which have
suffered so much more in the war
and have contributed so much
more to winning it. The true role
Of the United States was to medi-
ate between Latin-America and
Europe, and having forgotten that
role at the outset in the affair of
Argentina, it has been unneces-
sarily difficult to return to it in
solving the problem, which is not
really too difficult, Of how to recon-
cile the Act of Chapuhepec with
the Dumbarton Oaks proposals.
4, In the Polish question the de-
a parture from Roosevelt's position
as mediator has mad the most In
fortunate consequences. The his
tory of the negotiations since Yal-
ia is as yet unreported. It should
be, and if this dangerous issue
continues to be handled publicly
by episode statements and through
inspired, off the record, press con-
ferences, it will become necessary
in the interests of the peace of
the world to ask for the full pub
LEGATION of all the documents which
have originated in Moscow, Lon
don and Washington. Almost GER
tainly those documents would dis
pose of the impression that the I'M
filled Yalta agreement on Poland
poses simple issue Of black and
white, or right and wrong, between
the Soviet Union on the one hand,
the Anglo-Americans on the other.
For the real issue, as a matter
OF fact, has been between London
and Moscow, and it would be very
unfortunate indeed if the United
States sacrificed its great influ-