Evening star., 1950-09-22
United Action for Peace

Secretary Achesons proposals to the United
Nations General Assembly can do much, II
adopted to promote the peace and security OF
the entire world. They can do SO in three ways:
CD BY establishing an important additional
check on the Kremlins policy of direct and in
direct aggression, (2) by building up system
of collective action that could in time persuade
the Soviet Union to shift from its present course
and 90 by thus creating conditions under which
it might be possible to negotiate settlement
genuinely capable, in the words of the U. NJ
Charter, of saving succeeding generations from
the scourge Of war;
In the manner of prosecuting attorney
hammering home points of evidence in support
of damning Indictment Mr.. Acheson has rightly
emphasized that the fear of that scourge-a
universal fear--exists today only because the men
of the Kremlin have been systematically sabo-
tagging the effort to organize decent, just and
enduring peace. They have been doing that ever
since the end of the war in 1945. Wholly apart
from their refusal to cooperate on such crucial
issues as atomic control, they have been doing it
by persistently striving to bring about the polt-
cal and economic collapse of the non-Soviet
world by resorting to false propaganda and
throwing an Iron Curtain around themselves
and their satellites; by building-despite demo-
bilization elsewhere-armed forces far in excess
of their defensive needs; by employing The inter-
national Communist movement as a Fifth Col
umn in program of aggression aimed at max
ing the new Russian imperialism supreme; and
by adhering in general to an overall policy that
includes the use of violence to impose their will
on other peoples.
It is because all this constitutes a grave
threat to the free world that Mr.. Acheson, speak
ing for the United States, has called upon the
General Assembly to do the following: ID To
revise its rules of procedure so that it will be
able to meet in emergency session. within "a
hour period, if vetoes or filibusters prevent the
Security Council from dealing with breach of
the peace or an act of aggression (2) To estab-
lish a permanent security patrol"-a standing
watchdog" commissioning provide immediate
observation and reporting from any area where
international conflict threatens and where the
government consents to such action. (3) To adopt
a plan under which each member country would
create within its national armed forces unit
or units to be specially trained and equipped and
held in constant readiness for prompt service in
behalf of the United Nations. And a. to organ
ize committee to study and report on means
which the U, N. might use-including military
force-to carry out the purposes and principles
Of the Charter
OF course, as Mr.. Acheson has said, the adop-
ton Of these ,proposals-which bear the general
title Of 'United Action for Peace"-will not guar
antee q change in Russian policy or the creation
of new international atmosphere conducive to
a negotiated settlement offering real security to
the world. Yet If vigorously put to work, such
a program would be helpful in that direction,
and even If it failed to prevent war, it would at
least leave the free nations in better position
to defend themselves collectively. The fact that
Foreign Minister Vishinsky has come out bitterly
against the whole idea is pretty good indication
that the Kremlin regards it as something that
could make aggression considerably more diff
cult For that reason, If for no other, the General
Assembly would be well advised to act af1rma-
five1v m IT.