Evening star., 1948-09-21
The Outlook for Peace

The third regular session of the United
Nations General Assembly opens in Paris
today in an atmosphere and under condi-
tions that profoundly discourage the
yearning of the worlds people for peace.
On all sides, the atmosphere is colored
by violence and fear. The effort to bring
peace to Palestine is dealt Gripping
blow by the assassination of the U. N.
mediator, Count Bernadotte There is
fighting in Southeast Asia. The conflict
between India and Hyderabad has been
adjudicated by force of arms But over
lying and overshadowing all Of these is
the great collision between East and West
which seems to be approaching its climax
in Berlin. The minor issues alone are
enough to tax the resources Of the infant
international organization. IT, in addi-
ton to these, the clash of interests which
centers in the former German capital,
and behind which loom the outlines of
World War Three is to find its way to the
U. N. agenda then it can be said without
exaggeration that the hope and the future
of the world ride with the delegates in
their deliberations at Paris.
If one could control the flow of events
the impending showdown with the Rus
slams. For the time is most unpropitious
from our point of view. The delegates
assemble in a Paris which hardly knows
from one day to the next what government
it will have, or, indeed, whether it can
long hope to have any government without
recourse to civil war. The burden which
this lays upon the Western Powers, and
through them upon the u NJ, is too OBJ
vious to require description. And as the
dispatches from Paris make painfully
clear, there is not a great deal more firm
ness in the British mood. It is under
standable enough exposed as the British
are to attack and as distressed as their
economy is. But this does not alter the
fact that their reluctance to see the dis
stage enlarges our own difficulties and
those of the U. N, and reinforces the wish
that some other time could be chosen for
the test.
It is one of the unhappy truths of our
day, however, that the power of decision,
except in a very limited sense, lies not
with us but with the Russians. They can
stall for time and stimulate chaos in
Berlin. Meanwhile, they can move at will
in other directions. But our own choices
are limited. We can acquiesce in the Rus
sian game and suffer accordingly. Or,
if the effort to settle the Berlin problem
has finally foundered on the rocks of
Soviet stalling tactics, as seems to be the
case we can put the whole dismal busi-
ness before the United Nations.
The indications are that we have de-
cided on this latter course. If this is a
dangerous move in the sense that an ad-
verse U. N. Judgment might meet with
forcible Russian reaction, it is equally
dangerous, if not more so, to do nothing.
For if the possibilities of negotiation have
been exhausted, then we must act through
the United Nations or accept world
opinion that we are unwilling or incapable
of acting in the protection of interests
vital to peace.
1t is true that the U. NJ does not now
have any effective means of its own of
enforcing judgment against Russia. But
1t is also true, as Mr.. Justice Jackson has
said, that civilizations only hope Of sur
vival is to extend the rule of law to the
world" The rule of law cannot be ex-
tended to the world II the United Ma
tions, from fear of consequences, will re-
fuse to receive an issue and pass judgment
on it. One can readily agree that this
should be last resort. But If we have
come to the point where a judgment
should be pronounced on the question
of the threat which Soviet tactics pose
to world peace, then we should not hesi-
tate If an adverse judgment means war,
then nothing is to be gained by refusing
to face that fact For If this be the case,
war is inevitable in any event.