Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-24
u. N. Charter
Revision Ideas Thut Really Have Meaning
Stond Practically No Chance of Adoption


provision in the charter. What it
probably means is that while the
charter can be amended in theory,
it is going to stay just about "as is"
Thus revision of U. N. power and
activity depends primarily on in
formal methods.
1t is extremely important to I'M
derstand this factor. There is no
final authority in the U. N. which
can give binding legal interpreta-
ton to the charter, as the United
States Supreme Court gives to our
own Constitution and statutes. The
International Court is an adjunct
of the U. N. but it can only give
advisory opinions. So far as charter
amendment by practice" is con-
cerned. there are advantages and
disadvantages to the situation: While
there can be no judicial holding
for the U. N. to overcome if it wants
to change its Interpretation of what
the charter means, neither can any
minority bloc take advantage of a
sudden judicial decree to effect a
change it might want.
Q Peaceful Settlement of Disputes.
The late Senator Vandenberg was
one of those who argued that. If
given a chance. peaceful settlement
of disputes would suffice to quiet
most international conflicts. Since
peaceful settlement usually requires
little more than the good Offices of
member nations (as with the In
donesian Commission) and since no
Security Council nation would have
any major interest jeopardized by
this sort of thing. it is suggested
that the veto be dispensed with
here.
In case any of the big powers
fail to agree to this line of reason
ing (Which is fairly certain) then
it is argued that the Charter should
be SO interpreted as to make peace
full settlement a "procedural" mat
ter. Procedural matters are spelled
out in the Charter as being outside
the veto power. The trouble with
this idea. as noted. is that there is
no final court of authority to lay
down the desired mandate - and,
in this case, precedent is against
those who want the change.
Enforcement. AS it stands, the
charter provides for U. N. army
to prevent aggression, but the idea
appears to be rapidly falling by the
wayside American experience in
the Korean war has been disillu-
sioning, and the trend now is to
band together through regional de-
tense pacts as interests dictate.
While this trend seems to be a
reversion to the traditional power
blocs of old, no ready solution is in
sight. More effective U. N. enforce
ment would pose special problems
for the United States, which can
not be committed to take military
action of which Congress does not
approve. Shifting enforcement de-
cisions to the General Assembly. as
some suggest, is no answer for the
United States, whose vote in the
Assembly carries no more weight
than that of Israel or Liberia.
. General Assembly Voting. Many
officials who are resigned to the
veto would like to weight" the vot-
ing in the General Assembly and
then give the Assembly more power.
The problem is to find an acceptable
standard of weighing. Should it
be based on population, on wealth or
production, or trade? How? De-
sirable. perhaps, in theory, weighted
voting runs into this enormous prac-
tical difficulty. Another is the
added voting power that such change
might give the U. s. S. r. and its
satellites. And the small nations are
not so sure the idea is even good in
theory. They are inclined to point
out that the little countries have
balancing effect on the big ones and
thereby make the U. N. more work.
able during periods of power tension.
. Universal Membership. Original
ly it was contemplated that the U. N.
would eventually be Joined by all
nations. The veto has frustrated
universal membership. however. Nine
new countries have been added to
the U. N. since its inception; 20
have been blackballed, mostly by the
SovietS. The United States has
supported universally in theory,
but again the practical problems
are great. China, which has both a
de jure and de facto government,
presents the classic illustration
Just how the United States can
continue to plug for universally
and. at the same time oppose MEM
bership of the de facto government
of the most populous nation in the
world, is mystery to many people.
Another point to be considered is
the possible strategy of the Com
munist world to split Its jurisdiction
into multiple nations" and thereby
gain support for its demonstrated
system OF bloc voting.