Evening star., 1950-10-12
To Restrain the Aggressor

1t is not surprising that Soviet Foreign Min
lister Vishnsky-in highly legalistic argument
has turned thumbs down on all the most
important and most effective features of our
American proposals to strengthen the peace
preserving machinery of the United Nations.
For the propoSals-if adopted and put into ef-
fective operation-would appreciably strengthen
the free worlds collective defenses against the
Kremin's policy of direct and indirect aggres-
sion. They would do so, as made clear by John
Foster Dulles in his eloquent address to the Gen
eral Assembly, by endowing the U. N. with addi-
tional policing power-poWer of a sort that could
be formidable enough to fortify the peace by
making the war minded think long, hard thoughts
before attempting to perpetrate in other areas
the crime that is now being put down in Korea
Thus, under the plan presented by Mr.. Dulles,
the following steps would be taken by the As
Sembly: % It would equip itself to meet in
emergency session, on "a hours notice. to organize
affirmative action if ever or whenever vetoes or
filibusters prevent the Security Council from cop
ing with an aggressor. (2) A peace Observation
Commission" would be established to be ready at
all times to serve as reporter and observer in
any area where conflict threatens and where the
government of that area consents to the commits
sion's presence. 90 A plan would be adopted
under which every member of the u N. would be
requested to form within its national armed
forces specially trained units that would be
promptly available-either to the Assembly or
the Councl-to support international operations
against aggression. And "a there would be
created collective Measures Committee" to
conduct a special study and report on methods
and means-including military power-which the
United Nations might use in a systematic long
term effort to prevent war and uphold the rule of
law in accordance with the principles and pur-,
poses Of the Charter.
Despite the fact that the Security Council is
the primary peace-enforcement agency of the
u N, the spirit of the Charter-if not the precise
letter-plainly permits and even impels, the
General Assembly to adopt this plan Actually,
1t is plan designed to insure that the Charters
provisions will not be vitiated by the veto. AS
Mr.. Dulles has emphasized, such veto would
have blocked action against the Korean aggreSsor
if the Russians had not been boycotting the
Council last June. Accordingly since there may
be similar crimes elsewhere in the future and
since the Council is still at the mercy of the So
Wet mo-, or the mo" of any other of the Big Five
permanent members the Assembly certainly
ought to enact something very much like the
American proposals. For If they are not enacted,
and if there is new aggression, then the chances
are that the Councils majority will be vetoed into
paralysis, and the United Nations thus will be
incapable of taking swift action. On the other
hand, however, If the Assemblys powers en-
HANGED as proposed that danger will be notably
lessened and there will be reason to hope for eff
fective preventing measures.
Of course, Mr.. Dulles has said, favorable
action by the Assembly in this respect will not
make peace certain, but it will make less likely
that there will be little wars and big wars. This
is so because it will equip the United Nations as
it never has been equipped before to move with
speed and decision-regardless of the veto in the
Security Council-against any act of aggression.
In effect, though expressed in high sounding
legal language, Mr.. Vshinsky's opposition Is
confession that the Kremlin does not want to
establish additional restraints on aggression.
That in itself should be enough to persuade the
overwhelming majority of the u NJ to put our
American plan into force as added protection
against the scourge of war.