Evening star., 1946-03-28
Russia Walks Out

Russia Walks Out
In the atmosphere of confusion
which surrounds the refusal of the
Soviet delegate to participate in any
consideration by the UNO Security
Council of the Iranian question,
nothing is to be gained by hasty as
sumptions which paint blacker pic
ture than may actually exist. It is
equally true, however, that no con-
structive purpose can be served by
refusing to face the known facts.
When Soviet Delegate Gromyko
put on his hat and stalked out of
the Council meeting, he did not ter
inmate Russia's aff1liation with the
UNO. That may come, but it is not
yet at hand. This being so, there is
not sufficient reason to conclude
that the UNO and its principal or
gan, the Security Council, can no
longer function successfully in their
allotted sphere. A very heavy blow
has been dealt to this infant agency
which, through cooperative effort,
was to preserve the peace of the
world. But the ultimate effects of
the blow cannot be gagged at this
time.
certain facts have been estab-
Ished. Russia did not live up to
her treaty obligation to evacuate
her troops from Iran by March 2.
There followed series of mysterious
negotiations between the Iranian
Premier and Soviet authorities.
about which we know very little.
comments on these negotiations,
emanating both from Moscow and
Teheran, ranged all the way from
the pessimistic to the optimistic
but the fact seems to be that
no agreement was reached. Rus
sian troops are still in Iran. Iran
Ian sources say that Russia con-
tinues to interfere in Trans internal
af1alrs. And the Iranian delegate
to the UNO, acting on instructions
from his government, has asked
that the Security Council give i'm
mediate attention to the Iranian
complaint against the Soviet Union.
The Russian government had
asked the Council to delay consid-
Grafton Of the matter until April
10, without offering any official ex-
planation of what it expected to ac-
complish in the interval. The Coun-
ell, with Secretary of State Byrnes
taking a leading part, was unwill-
ing to grant this request without
giving Iran an opportunity to be
heard on the proposed delay. Mr..
Gromyko objected on the ground
that this would amount to a sub
stantive matter, which is subject to
veto, as distinguished from a pro-
cedural matter, to which the veto
power is not applicable. But it is
only too obvious that he was quib-
bling. What he really wanted to
do was to prevent Iran from having
any opportunity to be heard prior
to the Soviet designated date of
April 10. If the Council had per-
mitted that precedent to be estab-
lished there would be nothing to
prevent Russia, on April 10, from
demanding another postponement,
and so on indefinitely.
The Council refused to yield. Mr..
Byrnes, while suggesting that the
desired postponement might be
granted after hearing from Iran,
insisted that the Iranians could not
be deprived of an opportunity to
state their reasons for opposing
delay.
Manifestly, this was the right
thing to do. and the free peoples
of the world can take hope from
the fact that the members of the
Council, in the face of threats from
the Russian delegate, have had the
courage to stand for that which
they believe to be right. Without
this, as Mr.. Byrnes said, the United
Nations would have died in it's in
fancy. It may be dying anyhow,
for it has been said, and it prob
ably is true, that the UNO cannot
hope to function successfully with
out the full support Of at least the
United States, Britain and Russia.
If Russia should go all the way and
withdraw from the organization, or
even If it should only persist in
refusing to recognize the jurisdic-
ton of the council in any matter
affecting Russian interests, there
will not be much hope. But neither
of these things has happened as
yet. And they are less apt to hap
pen if the other members, instead
of compromising with that which
is wrong, refuse to abandon their
stand on the basis Of principle
which men everywhere know to be
right.
The new Jap constitution formally
war. This is one way Of