Evening star., 1949-09-23
HOPE Deferred

Some Of those who read the text of Sec
retary Acheson's address to the u N. Gen.
eral Assembly will come away with the
feeling that seldom has so little been said
IN so many words. Mr.. Acheson of necessity
was looking in the main to the future.
Having little in the way of achievement to
dwell upon, he wove his remarks around
the hope of things to come.
Most of the problems that will be before
the assembly were touched upon. Greece
and Korea, the former Italian colonies and
Indonesia were mentioned in terms OF
severely restrained optimism. There were
few guarded words on Palestine, so
guarded, indeed, that the delegates are
still wondering just what they meant.
Moving on to broader themes, Mr.. Ache
son spoke with some pride of the work of
the Economic and Social Council, set up
to promote social progress and better
standards Of life. In the next paragraph
one finds the categorical statement that
man does not live by bread alone, and the
Secretary went on to tell of the great i'm
portance which the United States attaches
to the Declaration of Human Rights This
declaration is supposed to be binding on
Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. Those
governments, however, have been acting as
though they never heard of human rights,
and this issue will come before the As
Sembly. Mr.. Acheson said he hoped the
three countries would refer the matter to
the international Court of Justice and
agree to be bound by its findings.
1t would be easy to brush all of this aside
as being in that category of deferred hope
which maketh the heart sick. But 1t might
be more easy than wise to do so.
Actually it was speech that was good
both in tone and content for the occasion
upon which it was delivered That Mr.
Acheson is under no illusions is shown by
this excerpt:
1t is true that the problems are seri-
GUS, that they are bitter, and that they
are not susceptible of any sudden and
dramatic solutions. But it has not been
proven that they will not eventually
yield to the effects of time and patience
and hard work. To the extent that we
cannot solve them today we must en-
dure them; but we must never cease our
efforts to overcome them step by step.
And we are justified in hoping that
persistent effort, geared to the ever
present process of change in human
affairs, will eventually produce more
hopeful and more solid structure Of
world relationships than we have today.
One is reminded of a speech made by
Winston Churchill in the dark month of
April, 1941. The prospect of substantial
aid for the British Isles from the United
States was beginning to take form, and
Mr. Churchill spoke hopefully. No prudent
and far-seeing man, he said, can doubt
the eventual total defeat of Hitler and
Mussolini. One may say that the public
places were not overrun in that year by
prudent and far-seeing men rushing for
ward to proclaim their faith. The prevail
ing mood was one Of pessimism, but In the
end Mr.. Churchill was proven right. On
the occasion sof that speech, the Prime
Minister quoted some lines from the poet
Arthur Hugh Clough, which were apt then
and which may not be devoid of applica-
ton to the central theme of Mr.. Acheson, s
remarks.
For whne the .tired uaues, vainly
breaking
Seem here no painful inch to gain
Far back through creeks and tnlets
making
Comes silent flooding in the main.
And not by eastern Dindo,Ds only,
When daylight comes comes In
the light
In front the sun climbs slo,p, hoU slo,ply,
But westward, look, the land is bright.