Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-13
Text Of Presidents Tok, Offering Mideost Plan
UNITED NATIoNS. N. III,

~~H
IL has been almost I'VE years
since had the honor OF adj
dressing this Assembly. I then
spoke Of atomic power and
urged that We should md the
way By which the miraculous
inventiveneSs OF man should
not be dedicated 70 his death
but consecrated TO his life.
Since then great strides have
been taken In the use OF atomic
energy for peaceful purposes,
Tragscally little has been done
10 eliminate the use Of atomic
and nuclear power for weapons
purposes.
That Is q danger.
That danger In turn gives
rise 10 another danger-the
danger that nations under ag-
gressive leadership viii seek TO
exploit mans horror OF war by
confronting the nations, par
ticularly small nations. with an
apparent choice between supine
surrender. or war.
This tactic reappeared dur
Ing the recent Near East crisis.
Some might call II ''ballistic
blackmail."
War Scare Decried
In most communities II Is
illegal to cry fire" in a crowded
assembly. Should II not be
considered serious international
misconduct to manufacture a
general war scare in an effort
to achieve local political aims?
Pressures such as these will
never be successfully practiced
against America. but they do
create dangers which could
Affect each and every one OF
us. That is why ! have asked
for the privilege Of again ad-
dressing you.
The immediate reason Is two
small countries-Lebanon and
Jordan.
The cause is one Of universal
concern.
Lebanon Action Defended
The lawful and freely elected
government Of Lebanon, feeling
itself endangered by civil strife
fomented from without, sent
the u-...ed States a desperate
call for instant help. We re-
sponded to that call.
on the basis of that response
an effort has been made to Gre
ate a war hySteria. The inn
preston is sought to be created
that if small nations are as
sisted in their desire to sur
vive. that endangers the peace.
This Is truly an upside
down" portrayal. If 1t is made
an international crime to help
a small nation maintain its in
dependence, then indeed the
possibilities of conquest are un-
limited. We will have nullif1ed
the provision Of our charter
which recognizes the inherent
right of collective self-defense.
We will have let loose forces
thai could generate great dis
asters.
& U. N. Responsibility
The United Nations has. of
course, a primary responsibility
TO maintain not only interna-
tional peace but also "secu-
rity." That is an important
fact. But we must not evade
a second fact, namely, that in
the circumstances Of the world
since 1945, the United Nations 4
has sometimes been blocked in
its attempt to fulfill that func-
ton. L
Respect for the liberty and
freedom Of all nations has al &
ways been a guiding principle
of the United States. This re-
spect has been consistently s
demonstrated by our unSwerv- s
ing adherence to the principles
Of the Charter, particularly in I
its opposition to aggression. di-
rect or indirect. Sometimes we I
have made that demonstration
in terms Of collective measures {
called for by the United Ma {
tons. Sometimes we have done s
so pursuant to what the Char 4
ter calls "the inherent right of 8
collective self-defense." {
I recall the moments of clear
danger we have faced since the {
end Of the Second World War
Iran. Greece and Turkey, the !
Berlin blockade. Korea, the s
Straits of Taiwan.
Principle Cited
A common principle guided |
the position of the United I
States on all Of these occasions. {
That principle was that agrees .
sion. direct or indirect, must be I
checked before it gathered suf- {
flcient momentum to destroy {
us all-aggressor and defender
alike. I
1t was this principle that was '
applied once again when the I
urgent appeals of the govern
ments of Lebanon and Joraan
were answered.
would be less than candid
II I did not tell you that the
United States reserves, within
the spirit of the Charter. the
right to answer the legitimate
appeal of any nation, particu-
larry small nations. (
| doubt that a single free ,
government in all the world
would willingly forego the right
to ask for help If its sovereignty
were imperiled. 4
But / must again emphasize {
that the United States seeks {
always to keep within the spirit
Of the Charter. Il