The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, June 29, 1945. THE CHARTER.

Grey River Argus, 29 June 1945, Page 4

The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, June 29, 1945. THE CHARTER.

While it is recognised on all sides that the United Nations’ Charter is a definite structure for preserving peace, to which' many nations have contributed, it is at the sarnie time but the first step. President Truman, describing it as historic, and a realisation of the Wilsonian idea, which the League of Nations, minus the United States, failed to realise, has indicated that there is much more than the Charter yet required. He is dedicating his term of office, he says, to the attainment of a workable peace, and thus implies that actual or concrete obstacles have still to be surmounted. The Charter, indeed, represents simply the theory of a system of world security. It is a different theory to that of Woodrow Wilson. It primarily reposes on the strength and loyalty of the strongest Powers. The smaller ones, whatever their own theories,'are obliged to place their trust in the Great Powers. Wilson relied more upon altruism than upon force. But he reckoned even without his own countrymen, who turned his proposal down. Incidentally, it must be said that smaller Powers would be unable to rely . merely on themselves. They could not stand against the Great Powers. With Germany eliminated and Japan about to be eliminated as great Powers, the United Nations have mustered for the Charter all of the military strength that is worth talking about. If it proves a workable 'organisation, nothing can stand against it. The second step, however, is still to be taken, and it. is. in Mr Truman’s words, a workable peace, which remains to be negotiated with regard alike to Europe and Eastern Asia. If the Charter is the theory, the peace settlement will be the application of that theory in practice, . Every :commentator makes one. stipulation. The Charter will be a nullity unless the Powers generally? and the great ones especially develop a- will to oper-

ate it. permanently. Lt has a supreme value in one sense. Before security can be a reality it must be an objective. The idea comes.' before the act. It has been the idea which has united the nations which have# signed the Charter. Once the idea was that disarmament was the, prerequisite for peace and security. Some Powers in a measure acted on that idea, even though financially it may have seemed making a . virtue of necessity. When other Powers ignored disarmament, those that had espoused it were criticised as shortsighted. -Nevertheless the new Organisation; can hardly bo consistent with a renewed race in disarmament. If there is no definite moderation, it will be far from a good sign. On the other hand a reduction in armaments will be a good sign. It is also probably a good sign that the nations are cautious in their anticipations. There is suspicion about the veto, but if the veto does not desroy the Organisation, it may be the pillai* of peace. All depends on the major Powers defending it, which is the same thing as standing by it, in a spirit of give and take. The Charter in itself is not even a plan of peace and security. It is only a pattern for a plan. The formulation of a workable peace, such as President Truman declares to be his goal, will transform the pattern into a plan, and thereafter the Powers generally, but the great ones especially, will have to keep to the plan.