Evening star., 1947-10-26
The Balkan Commission

Now that the United Nations General
Assembly has taken final action to estab-
lish a special Balkan commission, the
question is whether the new agency will
be able to achieve concrete results in pro-
tecting Greek independence and promoting
the cause of peace. The question would
not have to be asked if Russia and its
satellites were willing to cooperate. But
they are not willing. Instead, If their
words mean anything, they are going to
boycott the project and do everything they
can to make it ineffective.
The commission has the overwhelming
support of the General Assembly. Forty
of the fifty-seven member nations have
voted for it. Eleven have abstained. Only
six-Russia and it's satellites-haye said
no. If the will of the majority were all
that mattered, therefore, the world could
look forward with reasonable confidence
to a constructive pacifcation of the Bal
kans. Unfortunately, however, the small
Soviet-led minority, if it lives up to its
boycott threat, can do much to impede
progress, to that end and thus largely
Illustrate the desires of the Assembly,
AS finally decided upon, the commission
is to be made up of representatives of
Australia, Brazil, China, France, Britain,
Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan and the
United States, with two additional seats
heldsopen for Poland and the Soviet Union.
The original American resolution calling
for the creation of this agency called also
for a direct finding of guilt against Yugo-
c1o o,,l p,,1oo VII oh
of aggressive acts against Greece. In its
final form, however as adopted by the
General Assembly, the resolution valves
the question of past guilt. But this COM
promise gesture-a substantial concession
has left Russia and it's bloc unmoved. In
effect, they have served notice that they
intend to sabotage the commissions work
in whatever way they can.
This is an ominous measure of Soviet
policy. The new commission, which is to
operate from headquarters in Salonika,
has been called into being solely and simply
to play peacemaker's role in the Balkans
It's function will be to act as kind OF
watchdog along the Greek frontier and to
help bring about special conventions to
end the border tensions existing between
Greece and its northern neighbors-Yugo-
slavia Albania and Bulgaria. But by fol-
lowing the Kremlins directions, by re-
fusing to cooperate, by forbidding any of
the commissions members to set foot on
their soil, the three satellites can confront
the new agency with enormous obstacles.
Nevertheless, though it thus may suffer
a number of Illustrations in terms of i'm
mediate concrete results, the commission
has great potential moral weight. 1t may
be boycotted and barred by Yugoslavia,
Albania and Bulgaria, but still its watch
fulness can be highly useful, and it can
have this further effect: The world will
take note of Soviet-ied resistance to it, and
the world will see in that an admission of
guilt, evidence that the Stain government
has designs on Greece, confirmation OF
charges that the Russians do not really
want peace in the Balkans at this time.
The men of the Kremlin can hardly
welcome the prospect of having such an
opinion mushroom against them around
the world That probably is one reason
why they have tried so hard to argue the
General Assembly out of the project.