Gremouth Evening Star. FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 1947. UNO Prestige Declines

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 April 1947, Page 4

Gremouth Evening Star. FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 1947. UNO Prestige Declines

TPHE United States has been busy assuring the world ‘that its plans for aiding Greece and Turkey, far 'from weakening the United Nations, has merely added “momentum” to its normal functions. In other words, Washington has acted because it has found the United Nations dilatory. The true reason for the United States decision, however, is undoubtedly the realisation that any help for the Greek Governmfent or Greek people through UNO would have been impossible to obtain. Any such move would almost certainly have been delayed, obscured and finally vetoed by Russia. Therefore America has by-passed the United Nations.

The Americans consider that as a peacemaking agency the United Nations Organisation, as at present constituted, is a failure. No other interpretation of their action is possible. They have left no doubt that they will continue to by-pass UNO and that there will be many more bilateral agreements. It may be said that the United States has been guilty of the first breach. That Is not so. In actual fact there is one great Power that has never given more than lip service to UNO ideals. America, has at least openly stated its policy. She has declared that Ihe aims and objectives of the United Nations are impossible of attainment while present conditions are allowed to continue and while the authority of the international body itself is being constantly undermined. She has declared that the present drift, if allowed to continue, must eventually lead to war, and therefore has decided on action to cheek it. Cynical Use Of Forum

Instead of settling. world differences, the United Nations has seemed to accentuate them. It was hoped that, it would diminish political pressures, bring about by association and debate better understanding, and through these means eventually achieve equilibrium among the nations. This was perhaps unrealistic thinking. It is probable that Russia never shared such hopes. It is probable also that in their materialistic and profoundly suspicious way the Russians distrusted the United Nations from the beginning and entered the organisation merely to exploit, whatever political advantages they could find. Cynical use has been made of the forum offered in order to propagate views expedient to whatever policy Russia was pursuing in the country or situation under discussion- In more recent months an overall tactic has been to convince the working classes of all nations that Russia, and Russia, alone, is the champion of all progressive causes and that because of this other nations are plotting against her. One of the chief opponents of the American policy is Mr Henry Wallace, former Vice-President, whose campaign in Britain has caused a. major political stir in his own. country. He condemns American aid to Greece and Turkey on the grounds that it is being used for strategic and military purposes. In the eyes of Mr M allace and his “fellow travellers.” this is apparently a right belonging only to the Soviet Union. Any other nation, including his own, which takes concrete steps to protect its interests and further its ideals, is imperialistic and a warmonger. Rlr Wallace in his speeches merely reveals much of the sophistry and naivete of the intellectual Left. Military weakness is today nothing but an. invitation to be pushed around and, perhaps, assaulted by ambitious dictators. It is the straight and short road to war. The growing realisation of this is the reason for the United States deciding to .by-pass the United Nations and to go to the aid of liberty wherever it. is confronted by tyranny. '