Evening star., 1947-11-16
What Russia Is Boycotting

With its overwhelming vote for special
commission to promote Korea's independ-
ence, the United Nations General Assem-
bly now has adopted the three major
proposals made to it by Secretary Marshall
when its sessions began in mid-September.
The two others bring into being an inter-
national Balkan watchdog" agency and
the so-called Little Assembly" con-
tinuously sitting, year-'round organ de-
signed to increase the influence OF world
opinion on the veto-ridden Security Coun-
cil After bitterly opposing every one OF
these projects, the Soviet Union and It's
satellites have served notice that they
intend to boycott them.
The true nature of this boycott can be
best understood by measuring it against
the functions and purposes of the new
agencies. In the case of the Korean COM
mission, the General Assembly has acted
simply to set up international machinery
for the following reasons: Cd To "observe"
and otherwise help to insure an honest and
free election throughout Korea to create
National Assembly, and (2) to stand by as
this Assembly organizes national gov
ernment which is to establish its own Sc
curity forces and then negotiate with
Russia and the United States for the
promptest possible withdrawal Of oecupa-
ton troops The objective here is obvi-
ously TO enable the Korean people 10
govern themselves on truly Independent
and representative basis, but the kremlin
wants no part of the undertaking. 1t
wants, instead, an arrangement that would
convert the country into Soviet puppet
by turning it over to the native minority
Communist regime already established IN
the Red Army zone and backed by rela-
lively powerful military strength.
Similarly, in the case of the Balkan
watchdog" commission, the General AS
semblys prime purpose is to help preserve
the independence of Greece and promote
peace throughout the entire region. To
that end, it's special agency is meant to
act as a kind of frontier policeman and
mediator It Is meant to keep an eye open
for hostile acts-mainly the support OF
guerrillas operating against the Greek gov
ernment-by Yugoslavia, Albania and Bull
garia and to cooperate with all parties
concerned for the negotiation OF special
covenants to end the border tensions Here
again, however, the Russians say no. They
piously object to the project as one calcu-
lated to violate the sovereignty OF little
nations but what they actually mean Is
this: That they do not want the U. N. to
upset the effort of their three Balkan satel-
lites to force Greece behind the iron cur
tain and thus pave the way for eventual
Soviet dominance of the strategically vital
%HA
East.
Finally, in the case of the Little As
sembly"-which is supposed to have rep
resentative from every member OF the
United Nations-the General Assembly's
aim is to increase its own effectiveness as
a world forum. 1t hopes that its new sub
sidiary organ-despite strictly limited
powers-will be able to do this by dealing
throughout the year with contentious
issues and thus exercising constant moral
pressure to discourage the use of the veto
and stimulate affirmative action in the
Security Council But the Soviet Union,
whose mo" has all but paralyzed the Coun-
Gil, describes the project as an illegal
usurpation of the Councils prerogatives-
an argument so specious that Mr.. Vlshin-
sky himself has declined challenge to
submit it to the World Court. The only
conclusion to be drawn is that the Rus
slams are against the Little Assembly"
because they are afraid of it's potential
capacity to keep an embarrassing inter-
national spotlight on their activities.
In sum, the Little Assembly" the Bal
kan watchdog" agency and the Commis-
sion on Korean Independence have been
adopted by the overwhelming majority of
the United Nations to advance the cause
of a free, decent and collectively secure
world order. Accordingly If they carry out
their threat to boycott these projects, to-
gether with others like the European Re-
covery Program, Russia and its servile
satellites will really be boycotting the ef-
fort to build good and lasting peace.
This is something that speaks pretty much
for ITSELF Nothing could better justify the
General Assembly's resounding adoption
of the Marshall proposals. The task now
is to put them to work as effectively as
possible in the hope that the Kremlin will
yet find that its obstructionist, self
isolating policy cannot pay off.