Evening star., 1946-12-08
II. U.N.toHelp
The Far East
Voiceless Millions Have
Champion in Romulo,
Koo, Mrs. Pandit
By Sigrid Ayne

LAKE SUCCESS, N. Y.-For the first
time in international meetings the dele
gates have had to consider here at the
United Nations Assembly the well-being
of the worlds millions who have no
governments OF their own.
Those millions for the most part are
brown and yellow people. Their spokes-
men are Carlos Ronulo of the Philip
pines, Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Pandit of In
dia and v. K. Wellington Koo of China.
Steps taken here are more than re-
versal of the old League Of Nations at
titude, dominated by European colonial
powers, which permitted Ethiopia and
Manchuria to be swamped by invasions
without intervention. Indications point
to final independent action for such
areas as Burma, Malaga, Indonesia and
Indo- China, among others, which TO-
gether mean ia million people.
The discussions have led to all man
ner of speculation among the delegates
about the future world. The Far East is
rich in tea, tin, spices, tung oil (needed
in paint, bristles for brushes, jute
(for rope).
Will the new world in the Far East
still admittedly far off-mean higher or
lower prices for American buyers of tin,
spice, rubber? No one here knows.
If new independence in the Far East
means more wealth there, will they be
seeking-as they say now-more Amer
ican autos, adding machines, machine
tools and plain consumers goods, such
as radios and typewriters?
Steps Point to independence.
Here are some of the steps taken
which point to final emergence of the
brown and the yellow peoples as inde-
pendent agents:
/. The Union of South Africa asked
for permission to annex Southwest
Africa with population of about AGO.
900 native Africans. The Union was
supported by the colonial powers of
Europe. but violently opposed by ma
tions which have known foreign rule:
India, the Philippines, some of the
Arab states and by Russia, which would
benefit by any loss of prestige on the
part of Western European powers.
The subcommittee which first dis
cussed the request Of the Union Of
South Africa turned 1t down. It still
had to take two more jumps, but the
guess is that the government of the
Union. dominated by minority white
men, will be disappointed in its move
to take in the 100000 more Africans.
2. The second move also involved the
Union of South Africa: India's request
for United Nations reprimand for the
Unions alleged determinations against
its Indian citizens. The committee de-
batting this question decided that India
and the Union should confer and report
back to the U. N. General Assembly
within a year. The move prevents un-
due delay.
The first proposal had been to refer
the question to the International Court
of Justice. The Far Eastern delegates
interpreted this as move to put the
question ION ice," as Carlos Romulo of
the Philippines said. The Far Eastern
people judge the years leeway for de-
bate as victory.
RomuIo Proposes Conference.
8. Romulo introduced proposal that
the colonial powers call conference of
the "nonself- governing people" That
would mean Burmese, Malayans, Indo-
Chinese and Indonesians would attend
an international meeting where they
could voice their Aspirations and griev-
ances," as Romulo puts it. Up to now,
those peoples have been represented at
international conferences by their gov
erning powers-the British, the French
and the Dutch.
That proposal was fought by Bel
gium, France, the Netherlands and the
United Kingdom. They opposed even
discussion of the idea by the Assembly.
They lost. The debate grew so bitter
that Sir Hartley Shawcross of the
United Kingdom charged Romulo with
corridor intrigue" but later apologized,
saying that he knew Romulo was "ani-
mated by the most noble intentions"
Romulo's idea won in committee,
slightly watered down. He agreed to
make the first conference just regional
one, presumably for the Far East. The
Slavs and Arabs wanted world con-
ference.
Distributed by the Associated Press)