Evening star., 1960-09-18
The Donqer of Babel

In keeping with the Security Coun-
cil's recommendations, the United Ma
tionS General Assembly at its coming
momentouS session will grant member
ship to Cyprus and to some Is or Is new
African states. Included among these
is the Republic Of the Congo, which has
been born in chaos, though that may
end now as result of the reported
departure of the Czech and Russian
Communists.
Thus the u. N, which was made up
OF 81 countries at the time of its found
ing in 1945, and which has grown to a
total of 80 today, soon will have nearly
100 members, not few of them woe
fully underdeveloped and quite primi
tive. This is a significant change, and
obviously it is not necessarily going to
be for the better. To say the least,
although it does not mean that there
will be an immediate shift in the balance
of voting power with the Asian and
African nations throwing their weight
around as single until, it is change
that can hardly fail to have an impor-
tant bearing on the continuing struggle
between Communist imperialism and
the free world.
Pravda the chief news organ of
RuSSia'S Communist Party, has already
begun to gloat over this prospect, de-
claring in cheerful tones that the time
is approaching when the United States
and its allies will be perpetually out
numbered and outvoted in the General
Assembly. Apparently the Kremlin as
SumeS that most of the new members
(including numerous African lands not
yet eligible for admiSSion) will be polit-
1cally immature or unSophiSticated,
have an anti-WeStern bias and tend
strongly to work closely together in a
"neutralist" bloc-a bloc so vulnerable
to MoScow's Establishments that it is
likely to side far more often with Red
totalitarianism than with democracy as
we know it.
Although this is an exaggerated and
somewhat wiShful party-line interpre-
tation of the outlook, there can be no
doubt that we are moving toward a
point in the development of the u N.
where our country will no longer be
able to count on solid majority support
in an Assembly whose membership will
keep on growing to we'll over 100. In
such circumstances, for example, even
though we probably could veto the
action, we must reckon with the not
too-distant possibility of being outvoted
in our opposition to Red China's admis-
Sion Beyond that, the organizations
numerical growth raises operational
questions. Secretary General Dag Ham
marskjold has understated the case in
declaring as follows.
The considerable increase in the
membership of the United Nations stem
ming from region with short independ-
ent experience in international politics
has led to doubts regarding the poSsibi-
ity of the General Assembly and its COM
mittees to work eXpeditiously and in
way which truly reflects considered world
opinion.
=. the widespread membership does
create certain practical problems. 1t may
tend to lengthen debates and it may make
the General Assembly proceedings seem
too cumbersome in cases where speed
and efficiency are of the essence.
Despite this, however, Mr. Hammar-
skiold has voiced confidence that the
expanding membership will exercise a
Sound influence" if the U. N. does what
is necessary to improve its operating
procedures so as to head off the danger
Of becoming modern-day Tower of
Babel. The "if" here constitutes one
of the biggest challenges now confront
ing both the Assembly and the Security
Council, and the world will suffer unless
that challenge is effectively met.