The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-01-05
TODAY and TOMORROW
by WALTER LIPPMANN

have the benefit of recognized and
effective governments. Their mis-
cry can be relieved a little, but
there can be little more than that
in these lands until there are suf-
ficiently effective and acceptable
governments to ma ;ntain law and
order and to administer programs
OF rehabilitation and reconstruc-
ton.
We shall be less confused and
discouraged, and more lucid about
the immediate issues of the day. if
we see clearly that we must pass
through the phase of re-establish-
ing government in areas where it
has been utterly destroyed or par
tally undermined by enemy occu-
patton, by our victory, by abdica-
ton OF the former rulers, by their
internal weakness and corruption.
and by deep unrest and the desire
for something better than what
existed before the war.
The United Nations Organization
can not and need not wait until
This work of pacification has been
completed everywhere. Far from
1t. But it cannot begin until the
work is fairly well advanced in
enough nations that play a great
part in the world. The United Ma
tons Organization needs more than
the Big Three. In Europe it GER
tainly needs France, and enough
of the smaller states to make Eu-
rope itself truly represented.
The immediate mission OF U.N.O.
is to bind together the nations
which do have working govern
ments against the dangers which
are inherent in the fact that for a
long time to come there will be
rich and unsettled regions of the
world-particularly in the Middle
East and Asia-where authority is
in dispute and cannot soon be
firmly and legitimately established.
The peace-keeping function of U.
N. o. is to see to it that the I'M
settled regions of the world do not
become arenas Of mortal conflict
among the great powers. The
strain on its peace-keeping func-
ton will diminish only in 80 far
as we succeed in promoting the
re-establishment of legitimate gov
eminent where 1t is now lacking,
and that includes Germany and
Japan.
The mission Of U.N.o. is, In ad-
dition to peace-keeping. to pro-
mote the infinite varieties and pos
sibilities Of trans-national cooper
alton which make for wen-being
and for culture, regardless Of mill
tary power and national prestige.
The greater this work the better
will be the environment in which
man can do the work of pacifica-
ton which precedes U.N.O., and
the task Of peace-keeping which is
U.N.O.'s special mission.
There Is, then, the third phase,
which We have named the for1na-
ton Of a world state. I do not
think we can or should now con.
ceive 1t is calling for the forma-
ton Of 4 world legislature and ex-
ecutive.. There is much to be done
before any foundation exists upon
which world government can be
erected. That is the work of Gre
ating a supernatural regime of
law under which individual per-
sons gradually acquire rights and
duties. In my view the apparatus
Of world government cannot be
set up successfully until mankind
has become habituated to a regime
Of world law.
It is not necessary to have a
world legislature in order to enact
world laws. Thy can be made by
treaties and conventions and by
courts. There was common law
before there was nar1iar,ayot Il,