WORLD SECURITY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 202, 24 August 1944, Page 5

WORLD SECURITY

ALLIED TALKS BEGIN CONFERENCE IN SESSION AT DUMBARTON OAKS Recd. 8.15 p.m. Washington, Aug. 22. The State Department has announced that the heads ot three groups attending the talks on world security being held at Dumbarton Oaks by the Allied Powers have appointed the United States Under-Sec-retary of State, Mr. E. R. Stettinius permanent chairman of the conversations. Should he be absent the British Delegation leader. Sir Alexander Cadogan, or the Russian leader, M. Gtomikov, will act alternatively as chairman.

The conference, which opened on Monday, decided to discuss at the outset the general principles of an international organisation which the Soviet group presented this morning. The British and American groups are to state their views on an international organisation for the maintenance of peace and security in the afternoon.

The Associated Press understands that to-day's sessions were concentrated on drafting basic principles of a peace organisation. A toast to “The Defeat and Damnation of the Germans” was offered by Sir Alexander Cadogan and drunk last night at a dinner tendered to the delegates bv Mr. Stettinius.

The purpose of the conference is both complex and inspiring, says the New York Times correspondent in Washington. The delgates are faced with the task of reconciling the two conflicting principles of nationalism and international action to effect the collaboration of the great Powers in a system of collective security without Infringing the rights of smaller Powers and furthering the goal of perpetual peace. Already the United States, Russia and Britain have drafted the broad outlines of the security organisation they would like to see formed. None of these outlines has been published, but certain facts are known. NEW WORLD ORGANISATION

For example, all three propose that this world organisation be composed of an assembly of all the peace-lov-ing Powers oi the world, a council which would have final executive powers in deciding whether to apply military force against any aggressor or potential aggressor, and a world court to deal with judicable international disputes. All three schemes restrict the assembly to an advisory capacity. All three suggest that Britain, America, China and Russia should be permanent members of the council. All three stipulate that each of the four permanent members should have the right to veto rnv proposal that its armed forces should be used against an aggressor. In other words, under all three plans, each of the great Powers is protected against the possibility that any combination of nations could vote to put it into a war against its will. Apparently, there are some minor differences in the suggestions about the total number of members to sit on the council, and also about the vote which would be necessary in the council before military sanctions could be imposed. None of these differences is expected to cause much trouble.

SEPARATE FROM PEACE TREATIES

It is understood that President Roosevelt is desirous of keeping the new security organisation plan entirely separate from the treaties of peace, the correspondent adds. His purpose is not only to keep the new league of nations plan from being lost in a controversy over boundaries anci other contentious issues, but also to seek additional powers in the peace treaty settlement for dealing with any aggression that might break out Mr. Roosevelt says he hopes to see a peace treaty that will not only authorise the victorious Powers to disarm, demobilise mid control German industry, but will also authorise an executive branch of Government to collaborate with America's Allies in enforcing these terms of peace, even if they have to use military force to bring this about. CONFERENCE OF TECHNICIANS In this way, the world security organisation and the peace treaties would be separate, but they would complement each other in that both would provide the machinery for punishing a future violator of the peace, although under the American plan for a new league of nations A vote of Congress would be necessary before an American force could be used, thus hampering quick action under the American pence treaty plan, as distinguished from the security organisation plan. If the treaty should be ratified bv the Senate, the American executive branch would be able (o take immediate action against Germany or Japan, it either of those

Powers attempted to break me terms of the peace This is a conference, not of idealists, but of technicians, the correspondent concludes. The delegates will concentrate not on how to abolish war, but on what to do when it breaks out. This pleases some observers and displeases others, but it is a fact worth noting by everyone.

WHY SECRECY IS MAINTAINED

Recd. 9.30 p.m. Washington, Aug. 23. A spokesman for the Arne Jean Delegation explained to the Press why secrecy was maintained concerning details of discussions at the conference “There appears to be a general misconception concerning the nature of the conversations,” he said. "This not a dress performance, but consists of explanatory talks, which may result in an agreement to which full publicity will be given. At the present stage, however, too much publicity would be misleading and is not desired by the delegations. “Dr. Victor Hoo, Chinese delegate to the conference, interviewed, expressed the opinion that continuance of the Mikado should be left, to the Japanese people, who might choose an Emperor other than Hirohito. Representatives of 44 nations have prepared a draft constitution for an international organisation to increase tne efficiency of food production throughout the world. The chairman of the U.N.R.RA Interim Drafting Commission, appointed at Hot. Springs last year, said its functions would include: (1) Collecting, analysing, interpreting and disseminating information relating to nutrition, food 1 and agriculture; (2) promoting national and international action respect.ng scientific. technological, social and eco-, nomic research relating to nutrition, food and agriculture; (3) improvement of education and administration relating thereto; (4) conservation of natural resources and the adoption of improved agricultural methods; (5) improvement of the processing, marketing and distributing of food products; (6) adoption of policies for adequate agricultural credit, national and international, and the adoption of international policies respecting agricultural commodity arrange-' ments.

The Drafting Committee hopes, at least, that a required minimum number of 20 nations, including some of the major Powers, will accept the constitution before December, so organisation can function in January.