Evening star., 1947-03-31
America Isn't Alone
In 'By-Possing' U. N.
y. S. Could Cite Russia, France
on Independent Treaties
By David Laurence

Certain groups in America suddenly
have become concerned about the
alleged "by-passing" of the United
Nations by this country in connection
with the proposed stop communism
policies Of the United States Governs
ment.
But this concern is rather belated
and seems to ignore the realistic fact
that the United Nations organization
has been by-passed deliberately by
France, Russia, Great Britain, Czecho-
slovakia, Poland and other countries
through formal treaties of alliance
which call for direct military action
without regard to the U. N.
The various bilateral treaties which
Russia has made with France and
Balkan countries call for military steps
in the event of aggression" by Ger.
many and, in some instances, in the
event of aggression" by unnamed coun-
tries.
The U. N. also was supposed to set
up an international police force to
preserve peace. but Russia has blocked
action there. 1t has made the Security
Council helpless to do anything to
combat aggression anywhere.
Russia Used Veto for Albania.
What has happened is that every
government, including the United
States, has avoided telling all the truth
to the public about the condition of
the U. N. and its limited powers. The
veto power has been publicized and
the Truman administration assumed
that every one knew Greece and Tur-
key would collapse and be overrun by
Communistic forces before the U. N,
could do anything, even in the way of
formal investigation.
Only few days ago Albania, which
Is dominated by Russia, was accused by
seven countries of laying mines in the
Adriatic which caused a loss of many
lives on British destroyer, but the
Soviet veto blocked any U. N. action
in redress.
The sooner those citizens who have
been relying on the u N. awake to the
facts of international life, the clearer
will the reasons for the Truman
Marshall policy begin to appear to
them.
The United States Government does
not intend to omit any opportunity to
use the U. N. machinery for debate and
to mobilize world opinion, and that is
the purpose of the statement made by
the American representative in the U.
NJ, Warren Austin. But the American
Government has been embarrassed by
the fact that 1t does not wish to call at
tention publicly to the by-passing Of
the U. N. by other powers. including
Russia. The American Government
would be glad to keep the U. N. in
formed-which, to be sure, is nothing
but an empty gesture and deceives no.
body.
U. N. Is Not Dead.
The United Nations is by no means
dead nor is 1t likely to be injured by the
American action in going to the rescue
OF Greece and Turkey at the invitation
OF those nations. Actually. the pressure
to have the U. N. take up such problems
Is salutary because it calls attention to
the U. Ms weakness.
There is, on the other hand, no funda-
mental difference between treaties of
mutual alliance and defense such as
Russia has signed with France and
Czechoslovakia, which do not even men,
ton the U. N, and the action of the
United States in accepting the invita-
ton OF regularly constituted govern
ments in Greece and Turkey to come to
their aid when they face an "aggres-
sor."
1t is polite for President Truman not
to name Russia as an aggressor, but
every one knows what Russia has been
doing in the Balkans and what Russia
can do to block action if the U. N. takes
up this or any other problem in which
the Communists wish to exercise their
veto power and do as they please
For America to rely on weak U N
while Russia grabs all of Europe. would
be to court disaster and revert to the
appeasement policies that encouraged
Hitler and brought on World War II.
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