ALLIES' TWO AIMS

Evening Star, Issue 25470, 28 April 1945, Page 5

ALLIES' TWO AIMS

FORCES OF TYRANNY DEFEATED NOW FOR ENDURING PEACE MUST BUILD SOUNDLY FOR SUGGESS SAN FRANCISCO, April 26. Addressing the plenary session of the United Nations conference at San Francisco, the American Secretary of State, Mr E. R. Stettinius said the forces of tyranny and aggression were facing utter and complete defpat. Their doom was settled at Washington on January 1. 1942, when the United Nations declaration was signed. " Our enemies hurled propaganda and armed might vainly against the common will and common strength of the United Nations. Men for centuries to como will point to the United Nations as history's most convincing proof of what miracles can be accomplished by nations joined in a righteous cause. Our first objective has been the defeat of our enemies, but we have also pursued another objective which gives ultimate meaning to all the sacrifices and suffering of these tragic years, namely, a just and enduring peace. We have made a better beginning towards the fulfilment of this purpose than nations «ver made before. • " f. believe it was a wise,, indeed a necessary decision, to limit the work of the conference to the great task of preparing a charter to maintain peace with justice in a free world. The_ writing of a constitution for the maintenance of peace in the future is a task wholly separate from the punishment of the international gangsters who started the war. Furthermore, the establishment of a world organisation must be kept above and apart from peace settlements if the organisation is to be able to deal freely and justly with future threats to peace that may arise from any cause, including these settlements. PEACE STRUCTURE WILL TAKE YEARS.

" The imminent collapse of organised German resistance makes it most important that the world organisation bo established at the earliest possible moment There must be many other conferences on- many other issues. The success of this conference will not of itself assure enduring peace. The whole structure will take years to build, but without agreement on a charter the structure of peace cannot be built at all. The outlines of such a charter are contained in the Dumbarton Oaks proposals, which represent in essentials the. highest common denominator _ of thought among the four sponsoring nations. The proposals have been most searchingly examined by the Govern.ments . and peoples of all the United Nations, and".many constructive suggestions have been made towards their improvement. Some of these suggestions, and others which may emerge from the discussions here, will undoubtedly be reflected in the final draft of the charter, which itself should be open to whatever later amendments experience may dictate as wise.

" One essential condition of success," ,Mr Stettinius said, ". is that peace-loving nations have the requisite military and industrial strength, and must agree and act together against aggression. Otherwise aggression . cannot be prevented or suppressed without a major war.

" Another essential condition of success is the voluntary co-operation cf all peaceful nations to promote justice among the nations, foster respect for basic human right, and solve those common problems on which the security and economic and social advancement of their peoples so largely depend. Widespread economic insecurity and poverty, ignorance, and oppression breed conflict, and give aggressors their chance. OTHER FACTORS COME IN. * " Measures for security against aggression will not alone assure lasting peace. We must also work effectively and in close co-operation towards raising the standards of living and securing greater freedom and opportunity for all peoples, irrespective of race, creed, and colour. We have sought to build upon realities and hard-won experience. To build upon millennial idealism would be to build on quicksand. To build only on the collaboration and interests of the major nations would be to deny the community of interests of all nations. We have sought to assure that the strength of the major nations will be used justly and effectively for the common welfare. " The organisation we seek to build is based upon the inescapable fact that peace and security will be the right of those nations willing to share in the responsibility for keeping them. Tyranny and barbarism have never recognised neutrality and never will. We do not intend to build a world organisation that overlooks this cardinal fact, but we propose that after its establishment the organisation will be open to membership for all other nations who demonstrated their willingness and' ability to fulfil their obligations under the charter. " We cannot expect to produce a charter to answer all questions or resolve all problems. No basic document was ever drafted that was not open to improvement. Only four years after the American Constitution was written 10 amendments went into effect and 11 other amendments have heen made since then. Let' us act in the sure knowledge that our work can be improved upon with time, but that if we fail to act now we are likely to lose altogether the opportunity which is given to us to prevent another world war."