Evening star., 1947-09-15
BY the ksxoeiated Press

NEW YORK, Sept. l5.-The
tert of Secretary of State Mar
shaRs speech to the American
Association for the United Ma
tiops and Cooperating Groups
here yesterday afternoon:
I am glad to participate in the
opening of United Nations Week.
The interest and the sense of
public responsibility shown by the
American Association for the United
Nations and the scores of other ma
tional organizations who have joined
in preparing this week of public
education in the work of the United
Nations is deserving of commenda-
tion. 1t should result in deepened
understanding of the purposes, the
accomplishments and the difficulties
of the United Nations and a more
understanding determination on the
part of the American people to make
it succeed.
The General Assembly will con-
vene at Flushing Meadow on Tues
day for it's second regular session.
Delegates from the SIS member
states are now arriving in this
country for this meeting. They will
receive warm and cordial welcome
from our people who will follow
their work with close and sympa-
thetic attention. The Assembly will
consider a number of unusually
complex political problems, 1nclud-
ing those relating to Greece and
Palestine, for which solutions must
be found. There are already ap-
proximately 80 items on the agenda,
with still others to be raised in the
course of debate.
1t is important that the peoples
of the world should turn their eyes
toward the United Nations while
the General Assembly is in session.
1t is Of particular Importance that
the people of the United States
closely follow the proceedings and
gain a full appreciation of the ma
ture of the problems faced by the
General Assembly. The broad out
lines of our foreign policy are de-
termined by our citizens. The
American people, fortunately, are
free to speak out on matters of
policy. They vote; they form their
own opinions; and they organize
themselves into innumerable groups
to give expression to their views.
Through free press and radio
and through the film and other
means of communications, they
nave full access to all shades OF
thought and opinion.
Face Battling Policy Questions.
In order that the conclusions OF
the American public will be firmly
based upon fact and upon mature
reflection and realistic considera-
ton of the issues involved, it Is of
importance that all sources of in
formation and aids TO the enlight-
enment of public opinion be used
To the full. We are faced with
policy questions which are battling
and far-reaching. Even when all
the facts are available it is seldom
easy to reach a decision with COM
plete certainty that the right de-
cision has been made. Without the
facts, sound judgment of the issues
is impossible.
This is why your endeavors de-
serve the support of all those who
work for a peaceful world. The
achievements of your organizations
in the past have been truly remark
able. Without your help and the
help of like-minded people in other
parts of the world, the United
Nations might not have come into
existence. Without such continued
help, it can only have a slimited
future. There is still much to be
done and it is of utmost Importance
that 1t be done.
A recent survey of public opinion
revealed that one out of three people
in the United States still does not
know what the United Nations Is
and what it does. The same study
showed that only one in five knows
what is meant by the veto.
The problem of creating broad
understanding of the many specific
issues before the United Nations
bodies is particularly great. The
annual report of the Secretary Cen
eral to the General Assembly shows
that from July l, 1916, through June
30, 1947, the General Assembly held
443 plenary and committee meet
ings, the Security Council BAT, the
Economic and Social Council 16S,
the Trusteeship Council Sc and other
United Nations bodies 1877, or a
total of 1911 meetings in one year.
The most cursory glance at the
subjects discussed at these meetings
indicates that as Americans we are
concerned with almost every topic
dealt with. The entire range OF our
foreign policy is involved.
To do our share in the work of
the United Nations the Govern
ment of the United States must
operate as an effective team under
the leadership of the President.
Almost every department and agency
of the executive branch of the Gov
eminent is necessarily involved.
Congress, too, is heavily involved in
international matters and plays a
determinant role in the implementa-
ton of our foreign policies from the
financial point of view.
But the American public plays the
decisive role. They set the objec-
tives, they select the principal Of
f1cers of Government and they
weigh and criticize results. That is
the democratic process. If 1t is to
be fully effective, the public needs
leadership-not only the leadership
of formally elected and appointed
officers OF Government--but the
leadership of informed and discern
ing men and wore:, in each COM
mui1ity throughout the country.
This is pre-eminently the role of
the organizations which are Coop
Grating in this United Nations week.
The Department of State well
comes public scrutiny OF its efforts
and the criticism which helps us to
check the wisdom of our actions.
We try in every possible way to find
EA I,sv