A SUPPLEMENTARY PACT?
SIR,—It was good to be reminded by your leading article on October 22nd how leading statesmen in Canada, in the United States and in this country have come to see that the only firm foundation for closer union in Western Europe, and among most of the United Nations, is collective defence against totalitarian Communism. On the same day the Commonwealth Ministers ended their London Conference with an affirmation of their common purpose to deter and resist aggression. Today the Brussels Treaty Powers are meeting in Paris chiefly, it seems, in order to take further steps towards their collective security. And both the main United States parties appear to have reached the point where a long-term American guarantee to Western Europe is imminent. Surely the moment has come for the United States, the Brussels Treaty Powers and most of the Commonwealth countries to supplement the United Nations Charter by some such new pact as Lord Cecil has drafted ? Any would-be aggressor will then abstain from aggression and from any threat of aggression because he will know beforehand that any armed attack he might make would be immediately overwhelmed by preponderant power. The new pact will be consistent with the Charter and yet avoid the veto if the signatories— the Powers I have named and any more who care to join them—under- take that for their collective defence they will (firstly) forthwith organise their collective strength for united action on land, by sea and in the air, and (secondly) use their united power to crush immediately any armed attack against a member of the United Nations until the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to maintain international peace
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