The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1946-08-02
News "a
Behind,
THEMEa|M|IH$55IEE!I
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
PEACE CONFERENCE VICTORY
MORE APPARENT THAN REAL
ByRUL MALLON

Released by Western Newspaper Union.
PEACE CONFERENCE VICTORY
MORE APPARENT THAN REAL
WASHINGTON. - IT'S being adj
Nertised as a famous victory at
Paris. The accounts from there we're
headed: "Molotov Finally Yields"
A weighing of the event since then
by expert-and even some official
news accountants-has developed
wonder if it was victory, and how
much Molotov yielded.
In the first place, China was not
made a sponsoring nation for the
big peace conference of 81 nations.
Molotov did not yield on this. The
leading dispatches from the confer
ence the day after neglected to men
ton this point. Nothing was said
about China. Earlier both Messrs.
Byrnes and Bevin commended the
omission of our friend in the Orient
as sponsor would be an insult to
her. Molotov claimed China was
not Influential in the defeat of the
nations for which treaties were be-
ing written in Paris-Romania, Bull
garia, Hungary, Finland and Italy
and therefore she was not entitled
to be sponsor.
Morally, China was entitled to
be a sponsor as big five men,
Der and participant in the
war. Technically, she may not
have used any troops in the five
countries mentioned, but the
United States did not use many
either in Finland with whom
we were never at war;, and
not many more in the Balkans,
although the Russians used plen-
ty of our equipment.
POTSDAM AGREEMENT CITED
Next day France worded the invi-
tation more peacefully, and move
ment to salve China with the chair
manship upon the second day Of
the meeting was attempted, but Mo-
lotov insisted upon China's omission
as a sponsor, pleading this was
provided in the Potsdam agreement,
which has never been enforced, eco
nomically at any rate.
Then the big four conference de-
cided to call the 81 nations, appar-
emily to approve the treaties they
are making. This was regarded as
victory for our Mr.. Byrnes, who
wanted such a conference. But Mo-
lotov wanted to restrict the rules of
the conference, which naturally had
no rules, never having been in as
semblage. He succeeded in requir-
ing that each treaty 60 to a COM
mittee made up of the leading par
Elephants in the war on that coun-
try (Which is all right, but he said
the committee must make decisions
only by two-thirds majority
(Which is not all right. The COM
mittees apparently had no power
to make any decisions. At least the
conference did not. It could not
change treaty, or no public sug-
gestion was made that it could. It
was merely called to approve. Ger
tainly its committees could not do
anything it could not do. Yet Rus
STA imposed two-thirds majority
upon decisions of committees, with
AAAoJoA1'J NCNioAOiiS aiming CIle WIlOles
What this will do, have not
yet found an authority to ex-
plain. A two-thirds majority
without authority can only be
two thirds majority without
power-except to nullify any ac-
ton.
TWO-THIRDS RULE A JOKER
Actually, the big council of nations
was insisted upon by Byrnes to let
the smaller nations participate in
the decision of the peace. His VIC
tory in this respect was far from
clear cut. Will the small nations be
satisfied? The question cannot be
answered until you find out what
the two-thirds-majority- rule-in-com-
mittees-only will mean to their
conference. Obviously Russia drew
her peace in such way as to be-
lieve she excluded the small nations
from changing it. This is an old
Russian position against small ma
tons, which has taken many forms
since the San Francisco conference.
Actually, she does not care what