The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-04-02
Openly Arrived At
Bv ANNE O'HARE MCCORMICK

Some observers are beginning to say that
re open sessions of the Security Council are
mistake They argue that a nation cannot
cede from an untenable position or admit error
| il. public. Behind closed doors Governments
can make the concessions and compromises
necessary to all international agreements, but
they cannot give in before the spotlight ano
the microphone without losing face. The ad-
valtages of a permanent council of nations
bringing to light and debating before the world
the disputes that lead to war are obvious
enough. writes a correspondent who has partc-
lpated in many International conferences; but
when Mr.. Gromyko stages spectacular walk
out, how does he get back again? Performed
publicly, an action may be. and pro uolv Is
a maneuver to obtain the delay he could not
get by consent of the members becomes an
open break that is harder to bridge than
off-the-record split and shakes popular faith
in the possibility of international cooperation.
This is an old argument and reasonable
one. OF course, it is easier to negotiate In
closed sessions. Disagreements are better con.
Icealed and agreements .ppear more sole
and complete when the debate by which they
are arrived at is not overheard. Equally axio-
matte is that public meetings should be pre-
pared for by diplomatic exchanges in advance
alo should be skillfully conducted within the
framework of rules and procedures that are
known and accepted. In world as full of In
tlammatory issues as live mines, every
mechanism OF craftsmanship is needed to
make the war-torn terrain OF diplomacy safe
f. ON the bungler and the adventurer
But When this is freely admitted, there is
far more to be said for the other side, even
though the loud clash ir the Security Council
seems to argue for secret sessions. One might
go further and assert that the circumstances
and events leading up to this meeting render
publicity necessary. The differences exploding
in the first UNO sessions in London and New
York are a hang-ov They were not resolv.
ed in a series of closed sessions at Teheran,
Yalta and Potsdam. These Big Three parleys
represent the kind of secret, exclusive top
level conferences Moscow advocates, but the
political as distinct from the military agree.
ments reached there have left trail of mis-
understandings and contradictions taat becloud
every move to make peace.
The preliminary peace conference of For.
e1gn Ministers in London, a five-poWer meet
ing also held in secret. ended in deadlock
that has not yet been broken, and was as i'm
possible to conceal as if the debates were as
open as those held at Hunter College.
so far secret meetings have signally
failed to achieve understanding. But there is
another reason for bringing the Iran dispute
INTO the open. It is certainly not desire on
the parts OF the British or American Govern
nIents to put Russia in the dock Anyone know
relationships knows how many complaints
against our Soviet ally have not been publish
ed Inc case OF Iran stands out because it is
the case of broken treaty signed by the
Soviet, British and Iranian Governments, and
Washington and London tried in vain to get an
explanation from Moscow Of its failure to keep
the agreement 1t is easy to charge that in
this instance the diplomatic approach was not
effective because both American and British
Ambassadors fro,o
way diplomacy did not work 1t remains to
De seen whether the Security Councils request
tor information on the Russian "understand-
ing" being negotiated with Iran will get better
results
This is not the first time it has proved hard
TO get an answer from Russia through regular
diplomatic channels. Mr.. Byrnes made his
muc1-debated trip to Moscow last December
because there was no other way of getting in
to communication with the Soviet leaders. It
is harder still to get into commune alton with
the Russian people. For long time Washing
ton and London thought the best way to deal
with Russia was to abstain from criticism and
cover up differences. In recent months they
have changed their tactic, partly because
bringing issues into the open seems the only
hope OF breaking through to Russia and get.
ting the other side of the case to the people.
The compelling reason, however is that the
United Nations is organized to deal with diff
ferences. Already, almost against the will of
its sponsors, it is forcing consideration
these issues. Already it is taking on kind of
life and courage Of its own, strong enough to
drive the Soviet Union into an act of childish
protest and stiffen the wavering Government
OF Iran. to resist Soviet terms Tor evacuating
the Red Army.
This is largely the result of public meetings.
Secretary Byrnes is taking a firm lead in
the Security Council because he has the sup
port of American opinion, and he has this sup
port because the people know and understand
the issues. The contrast between the pace Sc,
by the UNO and the paralysis of the deputies
working in secret of the peace treaties in
London is good proof of the value of public
ity prod. AS to the peace conference in
Paris in May, which this Government is de-
termined to hold on schedule the only
means Of getting the machine in motion, the
plan to hold all sessions behind closed doors
is sure to prove boomerange, as it did in
London.
Open debate on international disputes. II
only as means of commune aton with Rus.
STA, was never 50 important as a first tiue of
defenSe.-NsW York Times