Evening star., 1947-09-18
The Showdown Is Here

the General Assembly leaves no room for
doubt that decisive showdown has be-
gun in the United Nations. Grave as it is,
it is showdown that cannot be lodged
any longer. To defer it would be merely
to let the Russians keep on promoting
chaos in the world. The war has been
over for more than two years, and their
hand has at last been called because the
time is plainly here to call it. Stated
simply, what needs to be determined now
is whether and when they intend to CO.
operate for decent and lasting peace.
To date, the Russians have not CO.
operated On the contrary, they have
persistently frustrated the will of the
overwhelming majority. Thus, by abusing
their veto power in the Security Council,
by saying mo" in the Council of Foreign
Minister'S by violating their Yalta pledges
and by working indirectly through their
satellites, they have Cd stynaied all prog
ress in drafting settlements for Korea,
Austria, Germany and Japan; ca en-
couraged new birth of tyranny in their
vaSsal countries behind the Iron Curtain;
CD torpedoed plans for European recovery
on a continent-wide basis; "a blocked
agreement on atomic control and (5)
paralyzed the United Nations effort to
preserve peace in the Balkans.
More counts than these can be cited
against Russia, but they are enough to
demonstrate the unavoidability of the
showdown called for by Secretary Mar
shall. In his appeal to the General AS
senbly, he has placed special emphasis on
the Balkan situation. The facts involved
are these: A majority of the Security
Council has found Yugoslavia, Albania
and Bulgaria guilty of committing hostile
acts calculated to undermine the terri
torial integrity and political independence
of Greece The majority has sought to call
upon the three Moscow satellites to end
their aggression, and it has sought also
to create a special long-term commission
to police the area and establish peace
there. But Mr.. Gromyko has vetoed such
action three times, which is another way
of saying that he has voted for policy
designed to force the Greeks within the
Soviet orbit
In answer to this Secretary Marshall
has appealed to the General Assembly to
do what Russia has prevented the Security
Council from doing. The Assembly's re-
sponse will be of first Importance, for If
nothing is done to protect Greece, then no
small state anywhere will have reason to
feel safe, and mockery will be made of
some of the most basic principles of the
United Nations. In making his proposal,
General Marshall has in effect asked the
Assembly to assume powers not specifically
koL L,,
1t, indeed to move for basic revision of
the Charter by eliminating the veto power
from issues involving peaceful settle
ment OF disputes. Further, he has asked
1t to create a special standing committee
to remain permanently in session as a
kind of balance to the Security Council,
without the Councils prerogatives but still
capable of marshaling world opinion as a
prod to action.
All this is certain to make the Russians
react in the sharpest manner. The Sc
curity Council veto is sacred to them
Time and again they have insisted that it
must not be modified in the slightest de-
gree, and they have been frank in saying
that they feel that way because in the
present world lineup majority of powers
can invariably be mustered against them
AS far as Soviet interests are concerned,
that argument is valid up to point, but
1t ceases to be valid and becomes an argu-
ment for global paralysis when 1t is used
to justify vetoes nullifying every measure
for peace unless the majority agrees to the
kind of measure wanted by the Kremlin
AS Secretary Marshall has warned, the
II NJ Smplv cannot survive ~ PusSio nm
tinues to follow such policy. That is
what the current showdown is all about
The outcome will decide whether we are
going to have one world of security or two
worlds of insecurity. Not since it's found
ing has the United Nations faced so grave
moment. At stake are all mankind's
hopes for a future free from fear