Evening star., 1949-06-16
The Power of the U. N.

JIG UWCI VI tuC ~. Ne
It may be that Trygve Lie, Secretary
General of the United Nations, has aban-
doned himself to overwishfulness in fatty
predicting that mo war of importance will
ever be started while the General Assem-
bly, Is In session" But in holding out that
hope to delegates representing fifty-one
countries at the New York convention of
Rotary international, he has at least
dramatized the fact that there is still
plenty of reason for faith in the U. Ms
peace-preserving potentialities.
Actually, of course, despite Mr.. Lies OPP
timisuc forecast, 1t Is quite conceivable
that "war of importance"-an alien
quilting global war-could break out even
If the General Assembly, the Security
Council, the World Court, and every other
existing international agency were in full
session at one and the same time. Never
theless, however wishful or hazardous his
prediction may be, he Is on sound ground
in asserting that the United Nations has
been, and will continue to be, strong
positive influence for peace.
In taking this affirmative and hopeful
view Mr.. Lie has not CLOSED over the
shortcomings of the U. N. In his own
words, there have been many, many dis
appointments" including the failure to
arrive at any concrete agreements on such
fundamental issues as the creation of an
international military force, the reduction
and regulation of conventional armaments,
and the control of atomic weapons and
other instruments of mass destruction. But
the lack of progress along these lines does
not warrant defeatism or loss of faith; nor
should 1t be allowed to obscure the fact
that the United Nations-in addition to
its significant studies and plans laying
the groundwork for constructive and far
reaching political, social and economic ac-
ton In the future-has already done much,
in specific way, to preserve peace during
the past four years.
Indeed, in Mr.. Lies opinion, the Security
Council and the General Assembly may
even now be credited with having actually
averted war, or lessened the threat of war,
in several critical instances. Thus, for ex-
ample, the U. N. deserves high praise for
having played vital role in checking
Soviet aggression against Iran, In bring
ing halt to the Arab-Jewish strife in
Palestine, and in improving the outlook
for q peaceful settlement in Indonesia.
Moreover, indirectly at least, 1t has con-
tributed in large measure to the easing
of the dangerously explosive tensions
caused by the Soviet blockade of Berlin.
Quite clearly, both asT an agency working
out formulas for conciliation, and as a
forum marshaling world opinion and shap-
ing moral judgments, 1t has succeeded,
even though stilI young, in restraining
the menace OF armed conflict.
One way to measure the organizations
peace-preserving Importance is to imagine
a world without anything like the United
Nations. If there had been no Security
Council or General Assembly in the years
that have passed since VI Day, there
would have been no international means
whatever for airing disputes. calming
troubled areas and deterring aggression.
There would have been merely a kind of
anarchy on every continents situation
in which conditions might easily have
drifted from bad to worse until they pre-
cipitated an all-out war. Accordingly, no
matter how discouraging the outlook may
be today, we can be reasonably sure that
it would be much darker were there no
U. N.
As searchlight, in short, as con-
science, moral prod, judge, an opinion
maker, an outlet for grievances, a correc-
tive influence, and an international
pressure group whose feelings and desires
no country can afford to ignore, the United
Nations has undeniably restrained the evils
that make for war. Mr. Lie has good rea-
son to reafi1rm his faith in it, and so has
every one else. Imperfect though 1t is, it
has the potential power, If properly de-
veloped, to organize and maintain decent
peace that will be literally lasting.