Evening star., 1950-01-08

'e, language, culture and tradition,
were subsequently adopted at the
Bogota Conference in April of
1948. The new and revitalized
Organization of American States
with an Assembly. a Council and
other agencies similar to those of
the United Nations, is the result.
To cooperative agencies for
merly in existence and covering al
most every inter-American activi-
ty, from public health and SANTA
ton to military collaboration, have
been retained and new ones added.
The organization even has teeth
of power mutually agreed upon to
defend any or all the countries
against possible attack or en-
croachment by a non-American
power. as we'll as aggression from
within the American family of
nations. Its military treaty of
reciprocal assistance, adopted at
Rio de Janeiro in July of 1947 and
now in effect; a treaty which be-
came the model for the newly
created North Atlantic pact, is
backed up by the Inter-American
Defense Board. a sort of per-
manent inter- American general
staff, representing all the military
establishments of the different ma
tions.
There are many other unique
and significant aspects of this
hemisphere machinery of collab-
Grafton. Perhaps one of the most
important and that which diff
ferentiates 1t from the United Ma
tions, is the fact that it's growth
and development have been the
result of gradual and entirely VOL
untary effort. It did not begin
with high-sounding constitution
and a definite set of iron-clad
rules to be put into effect and ap-
piled overnight. 1t has become
the effective organization it now is
because its development has been
step by step; its every move based
on experience and mutual, usually
unanimous, agreement.
More important still, the OAS
operates on a basis of absolute
equality between nations, large or
small. Both in its general con-
ferences or assemblies and in it's
council meetings every nation is
represented. Every nation has a
representative on the council with
the rank of ambassador, who has
power to speak for his govern
ment. No one nation or group,
however powerful, can force a
veto. Tiny Haiti's vote is equal
to that of the United States or
Brazil.
Weakness Noted
II the spirit and performance
of this all-American family organ
ization seems to be largely on the
credit side, insofar as international
relations are concerned, we may as
well acknowledge certain weak
nesses and shortcomings as they
apply to the international affairs
of the various countries.
Every treaty, resolution and doc
ument in the OAS framework is
dedicated to the maintenance and
furtherance of democratic institu-
tions. One of the most eloquent
international announcements ever
penned is the Declaration on the
Rights and Duties of Man adopted
at the 1948 conference in Bogota,
document which antedated the
much discussed Declaration of
Human Rights later adopted by
the United Nations. In the Bogota
declaration, consisting of 38 sepa-
rate articles, every country in this
hemisphere pledges itself to guar
antee to its people all the civil, re-
ligious and political rights, in
Guiding the right of free speech,
the right to vote and to participate
in government, the right to pro-
lection under law, the right to own
property and all the others.
Yet, today, in Venezuela and
Peru, in the Dominican Republic
and Argentina, in more than a
third of all the 81 republics, die
tatorships hold complete or par
tial sway over the lives and prop
erty of their peoples. Freedom of
speech. press and radio are par
TALLY or wholly denied in Argen-
tina, the Dominican Republic.
Peru, Nicaragua, Venezuela and
several of the other nations. Liter
ally thousands of persons are in
exile from the Dominican Repub-
lie, Nicaragua and the various
countries of their birth because
their political opinions differ from
those who hold power or control
the individual governments.
Governments Upset
In Venezuela and Peru and sew
eral others constitutionally elected
presidents and congresses have re-
Gently been overthrown by mill
tary cliques. Colombia's long rec
ord of peaceful, impartial and con-
stitutional government has lapsed.
In the recent elections only one
party participated. and the CAM