Evening star., 1946-03-10
Spain and the UNO

specifically declares that the Secu-
rity Council may investigate "any
situation" to determine whether
continuance of the situation is likely
to endanger peace, and since "any
member" of the UNO has the right
to call the Councils attention to such
a situation, France appears to be on
sound technical ground in proposing
to submit the Spanish question to
the Council.
But even though it may be tech
nically correct and has Russia's ap-
proval and active backing, the
French plan seems slated to run into
the full opposition of Britain and
the United States. This does not
mean that it will get no hearing, but
authoritative reports clearly suggest
that the nglo-American position
will be that the issue over the Franco
dictatorship-short of strong evi-
dence demonstrating that Franco is
a threat to world peace and security
has no place before the Council.
AS matters stand. considering
Spain's internal difficulties and
weaknesses and the overwhelming
character of Allied power, it strains
the imagination to envision Franco
undertaking to commit aggression
against any nation or to do anything
else likely to endanger peace. In the
circumstances, there is good reason
why Britain and the United States
should oppose the French proposal,
for it would establish an unwhole-
some precedent opening the way to
a whole series of similar proposals
by other members of the UNO feel
ing disposed to throw their weight
around via the Security Council.
Wholly apart from the fact that
the council is heavily burdened al
ready and ought not to be asked to
take on additional issues unless they
clearly involve threat to the peace,
the French proposal-no matter how
technically correct has all the
marks of an ill-advised attempt to
have the UNO intervene directly in
internal Spanish affairs. If the Sc
curity Council is to have the respect
Of the world, however, it cannot
lightly establish a precedent that
may lend itself to the promotion
OF meddlesome international fishing
expeditions having little or nothing
to do with the maintenance of world
security. For this reason, unless
France and Russia can show con-
vincingly that the Franco dictator
ship is a menace extending beyond
the borders of Spain, Britain and the
United States will be rendering a
great service if they head off the
French move.
Certainly no one can accuse either
the British or ourselves of wanting
to see Franco remain in power. At
Potsdam we joined with the Rus
slams in declaring that Spain could
not belong to the United Nations
until it got rid of him. We took the
same position at the London meeting
OF the UNO in subscribing to the
General Assembly's unanimous reso-
luton against him. Finally, jointly
with France. we have formally sug-
gested to the Spanish people that
they agree on some means of ousting
him without civil war.
Accordingly, if Britain and the
United States now oppose the French
Security Council plan, they do so not
because they are solicitous about
Franco but because they do not want
to see the Council used for purposes
for which it was never intended.
That is opposition in a good cause,
for any misuse of this key agency of
the United Nations might well have
the most damaging effect on the
UNO as whole.