The Omaha guide., 1945-12-15
VA
UNRRA Test Of Sentiment
For World Cooperation
Faith in Ideal Necessary to Continue Work
Of Allied Relief Agency After Reports
Of Early Difficulties.
BY BAUKHAGE
Neus analyst and Commentator.
WNU Service, 1916 Eye Street, NV.
Washington. ID. C.

WNU Service, 1916 Eye Street, NV.
Washington. ID. C.
The forces in Washington battling
for world cooperation are finding
the going tough. 1t is hard to get
people to have faith in collective
security when they witness such
things as the breakdown of the for
eign ministers conference in London,
RuSsia's reluctance to cooperate in
the Far East advisory commission,
Argentina's espousal of the ways Of
the dictators. At times it seems as
though. internationally speaking, de-
mocracy n approaching the win
ter of its sorest discomfort.
It is unfortunate that in the midst
of this period of suspicion and anxi-
ETY., a yes and no vote has to be
taken on a matter that may mean
life or death, and to that extent
peace or anarchy. to hundreds Of
thousands of people in Europe. /
refer to the 500 million dollar appro-
priation for UNRRA which has been
winding a precariouS way through
congress.
By the time these lines appear.
that appropriation which congress
previously authorized may have
been granted. There has never been
much doubt as to its final approval
But the danger lies in the effect of
proposed reservations.
This appropriation bill is con-
sidered a bell-wether. If it goes
through unencumbered, it may
mean that other measures affecting
III relations with other nations are
fairly safe and that such isolation
ism as exists in the country (and,
therefore. in congress) is less than
one-third of the whole.
1t is true that there have been
loud and emphatic demands that
such knowledge as we possess con-
corning the atom and its potentially
be kept strictly to ourselves even
though scientists say it cannot be
less than common knowledge-even
the 'knoW-hoW" to turn it to mill
tary or commercial use - within
a few years. But I believe that if
you will submit to careful analysis
the expressed sentiment of congress
on this subject. it would reveal a
lineup which takes little consider
alton of any international aspects Of
the use of atomic energy. In other
words, the viewpoints so far ex-
. pressed have differed as to whether
this new force has been looked at
as something to sell at home and
the question has been whether it be
produced under state control or by
private enterprise. The question of
internationalizing the bomb has re-
manned in the domain of theory.
A look at the arguments for and
against UNRRA and the reaction to
them gives us a much clearer pic
ture Of tendencies, isolationist or
otherwise. of the arguer.
u. S. Support
Is Vital
When a congressman casts mis-
vote AYE" or mo- on the bill 20
appropriate the money for UNRRA
he is not simply virtually voting aye
or no on whether we help feed starv-
ing Europe. If he votes no and the
noes have it, there will be no
pNRRA. True, all contributing ma
tons put in the same proportion of
their national income l per cent
but it so happens that l per cent
of the national income Of the United
States is nearly three-quarters of
the entire sum contributed. Your
voter knows this. And he can't help
realizing the UNRRA is symbolic of
American participation in any world
organization. Without this country's
advice. consent and support, no
world organization can exist. And
likewise, with American support no
nation can afford not to go along.
Another thing that the congression-
al voter knows when he votes on
UNRRA is that it is far from per-
feet. He knows that the personnel,
the efficiency. the standing of the or
ganization have improved tremen-
dously in the last few months since
it has been able to get the person
mel it required, which it couldn't get
before because of the manpower and
brainpower shortage due to the war.
But he knows it is still hampered
by its polyglot nature and he has to
have faith enough in its purpose 10
make him feel that the risk of fail
ure is worth taking. Because
UNRRA, like any international or
g~anization, is everybody's baby, j,
can easily become nobody's baby.
Each nation has been only too ready
to criticize it, always excluding their
own representatives functions, OF