A SPECTATOR 'S NOTEBOOK
I DOUBT whether the last word has been said about the seat of the United Nations Organisation. It is true that the Executive Com- mittee of the Preparatory Committee of the Organisation decided, after a discussion which could hardly be considered adequate in view of the importance of the question, that the headquarters should be in the United States. But since then a good many people have done a good deal of reflecting, and the result of it may be revealed when the full Preparatory Commission meets in London in a few days' time. It would take too much space to thrash the whole thing out here, but these considerations at least might be weighed: The problems before the Organisation in its early days will beyond question be predominantly European, which is a strong argument for putting its seat in Europe, where, quite apart from obvious conveniences, its immediate presence would be a permanent deterrent to lawless activi- ties. It is, on broad grounds and for fairly obvious reasons, undesir- able that the seat of the Organisation should be on the territory of any Great Power. The United States is famous for its political lobbying ; it would be a misfortune to have that national activity applied to the new Organisation. It may be extremely desirable to appoint as the first Secretary-General a distinguished American ; but it has always been assumed that for one nation to possess both the Secretary-General and the seat of the Organisation would upset the whole balance unduly. These are important considerations, and a good many might be added to them. There is manifestly a good case for second thoughts.
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