Not All Plain Sailing

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21923, 18 January 1946, Page 2

Not All Plain Sailing

To suggest that there arc no serious problems ahead of the United Nations would not be a realistic approach to the talks at the Assembly. Already there are signs that either the Assembly itself or its Security Council will thus early in the organisation’s history be called upon to adjudicate on disturbing situations such as in Persia and Indonesia. These are embarrassments, involving military activity in the countries concerned, which, strictly speaking, should not have been forced on to the organisation before it had been firmly constituted. Yet the Persians and the Indonesians, in their continuing distress, can hardly be blamed for trying to put the responsibility for a solution of their problems on to a body whose primary function it is, or very soon will be, to settle disputes of this kind. The spirit of the conference so far gives the impression that even these concrete difficulties should not prove insuperable. The British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Bevin, the effects of whose latest address on trusteeship and other questions will be studied with keen interest, once told the executive committee of the Preparatory Commission that the idea of world government needed to be “carefully nursed,” so that the right atmosphere could be created. “It is not something that can be imposed from the top..” he said. “It must be the result of a period of growth.” Ilis message seems to be that in the end the world will reach security, not so much by enforcing peace upon itself, but by successive steps to induce the conditions upon which security is. possible and acceptable. A great deal of the business now being done in London will be to establish a number of subsidiary bodies and co-operative agencies which will be responsible to the main councils. The establishment of the Trusteeship Council. on the right lines is of the utmost importance. The work of this council will attract the sharp attention of races in many parts of the world and its success will be closely linked with the vital matter of future security. v _