Greymouth Evening Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 1950. More Blackmail

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 August 1950, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 1950. More Blackmail

WHEN in June the Security Council of ™ the United Nations took up the challenge of the North Korean Communists, it .spoke for all free men. Since the aggressors, having reaped all the advantages of a long-prepared surprise attack upon a weak opponent, have gone from success to success, despite the desperate, handicapped ’ efforts of the Americans, fighting the battles of the United Nations. For the United Nations, however, this is still only the beginning. The end must be the complete defeat of this Communist adventure in international banditry. The newlyreinforced authority and prestige of the world authority could survive no other solution. 'lt' is to be earnestly hoped, therefore, that the current meetings of the Security Council and the General Assembly, which opens this month, will witness an unflinching consolidation of United Nations’ strength, both moral and physical. That implies a “pitching-in” of resources by all who wish to see the rule of law upheld. Rhetorical assistance is not enough. The Korean conflict has entered a new phase on the 'diplomatic side. The return of the Russian representative, Mr Malik, to the Security Council, which he so abruptly left last January (which act was itself a direct'violation of the'Charter) was obviously aimed at coercing the United Nations into accepting Communist China as one of the Big Five entitled to exercise the veto. It is highly unlikely that Russia would have so lightly abandoned her much-vaunted boycott, had she not thought such action would help her to outmanoeuvre the democracies on the Korean issue. By tying up the question of China, s representation with that of a settlement in Korea, Moscow clearly hopes to confuse the counsels within the United Nations, and at least weaken their collective stand against Communist aggression. The Soviet Union’s turn to take up the Security Council presidency for a month was significantly accepted as affording procedural assistance in this new manoeuvre. The present enforcement of authority against an outlaw does not preclude the eventual acceptance of Communist China into the United Nations. But there can be no relation between such acceptance and a solution of the Korean conflict. Nor has it furthered the claims of Communist China that they have become another exhibit in the Kremlin’s long record of international blackmail.