Evening star., 1950-10-23
For q More Effective u. N.

In voting SO to in favor of Secretary Ache
sons plan to strengthen the peace preserving
machinery of the United Nations, the Political
and Security Committee of the General Assembly
has taken historic step that promises to make
the world organization more effective than it
has been at any time since its founding in San
Francisco five years ago.
For the committee vote-Which the Assembly
as whole undoubtedly will confirm by margin
equally OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the way for organ
izational and procedural changes of first impor-
tance as deterrents to war This is so because the
changes will enable the U. N to deal swiftly and
declslvely with any future acts of aggression even
when or if the Security Counc-the primary
peace-enforcement agency-is paralyzed by
Soviet vetoes or filibusters of the sort that would
have blocked prompt action in the Korean crisis
had not the Russians been boycotting the Council
last June.
Thus, under the new plan the General
Assembly will be equipped to meet on "a hours
notice to recommend affirmative measures in
case the veto prevents the Security Council from
coping with an aggreSsor In addition there is
to be set up a 14-nation peace Observation Com
mission" that will be ready at all times to act as
an observer and reporter in any area where
conflict threatens. Beyond that-and this has
great potential sgnifcance-every member of
the United Nations Is to be requested to organize
within its national armed forces specially trained
units that could be placed at the disposal of
either the Assembly or the Council for interna-
tional operations against aggression. Finally, a
collective Measures Committee" is to be estab-
lished to conduct special study and draft
detailed report on ways and means including
military power, designed to enable the u N to
carry on with well-planned long-range effort
to prevent war;
Of the go nations belonging to the world
organization, only fve-the members of the
Soviet bloc-have voted against this plan in COM
mittee. Three others have abstained-Argentina
Syria and India, the latterS abStention being a
reflection of Prime Minister Nehru's curiousy
lnoecisive and self-contradictory position as
regards how best to act against the crime of
aggression, which he himself has branded as
something that cannot be tolerated. Apart from
these countries-plus Yemen and Iceland, whose
representatives were absent during the roll call
the rest of the U. NJ, so members all told have
placed themselves firmly and unequivocally on
the side of making the Assembly a better instru-
ment against the threat of dominance seeking
wars.
Certainly, if this plan is put into full force
the United Nations will be able to exercise
stronger restraints on aggression and thus will
be better equipped than it has been up to now
to avert a global armed conflict Significantly
enough, although bitterly opposed to the whole
project on narrow legalistic grounds the men of
the Kremlin have indicated an anxiety to take
part In the Peace Observation Commission" :"
That suggests that they would like to obstruct
the commissions work as much as possible BY
the same token, however, it also suggests a new
measure of Soviet respect for the U. MS growing
effectiveness against the brewers of war.