Evening star., 1946-04-05
Triumph of Principle

IHe Small powers OF Lne world ana
the world at large have good reason
to be encouraged by what the United
Nations Security Council has accom-
plished up to now in dealing with
the dispute between Russia and
Iran. The case as it stands today
has established historic precedent,
key principle, that should be of
prime Importance in guiding the
UN from its present uncertain in
fancy to maturity in the years
ahead.
At the outset of the Council meet
Ing in New York last month, Am
bassador Gromyko, the Soviet dele
gate, insisted that all discussion of
the Iranian question be postponed
until April 10. Led chiefly by Secre-
tary of State Byrnes, the Council re-
fused and Mr.. Gromyko thereupon
walked out, making clear that Russia
would have nothing to do with the
case at that time. In effect, this
move, which at first seemed to
threaten the whole future of the
United Nations, was an effort to
deny a principle without which the
UN could have little meaning-a
principle fixing the right of any
small country to file a complaint
against any big country and to re-
ceive fair hearing and just treat
ment.
Had the Council yielded to the
initial Soviet demand, this basic
principle-involving the interests
not of Russia and Iran alone but
of the whole world-would have been
surrendered or so badly compromised
that no weak power could thereafter
have had much faith in the lofty
objectives of the United Nations. But
there was no yielding. Instead, in
spite of Mr.. Gromyko's boycott, the
Council went ahead, heard the Ira
MAN representative. and then sent
notes directly to Moscow and Te-
heran requesting specific informa-
ton on the status of negotiations
between them, particularly as to
whether the withdrawal of Red
Army troops had been conditioned
on Trans granting political and eco
nomic concessions to the Russians.
To the credit of the Russians, it
may be said that they met the dead
line fixed by the Council for reply,
and that their answer, though
somewhat ambiguous in other re-
spects, constituted a pledge to with
draw their forces Internationally
from Iran by May 6 at the latest.
On the strength of this and with
the 1ranian representative assent,
the Council then felt free to shelve
the case until that date, keeping it
on the agenda meanwhile to reopen
it should the Soviet promise be un-
fulfilled. The Australian delegate
held that this did not meet the test
involved, but on the face of things
the fact seems otherwise. At any
rate, Moscow went on record before
the world to the effect that its ne
gotiations with Teheran would not
include the indirect pressure of
troops, and to this extent at least
a small powers rights were clearly
protected.
This triumph of principle, more
over, seems to have enhanced the
Councils authority in a noteworthy
measure. Russia completely ignored
British and American notes on its
failure to withdraw it's troops from
Iran by last March in keeping with
treaty obligations. But when the
Council addressed it, Moscow an
swered, and the answer was accepted.
MIR. Gromyko, presumably, will now
end his walkout. All things con-
sidered, if words means anything,
the outlook for international CO.
operation seems perceptibly brighter
today.