Peace and Defence
It is in some sense a victory of realism over idealism that the first meeting, on Saturday, of the Defence Council created by the Atlantic Treaty should have to be rated as intrinsically much more important than the Fourth General Assembly of the United Nations, which opens at Lake Success next Tuesday. The reason is simple. Russia is in a position to veto all effective action by the United Nations. When therefore effective action becomes imperative a new
organisation, unequipped with facilities for obstruction and confined to States which have no disposition to obstruct, must be created tol
organise it. How necessary it is to circumvent the Russian veto is shown by the use of that veto last Tuesday to prevent the election of Portugal, Jordan, Italy, Finland, Eire, Austria and Ceylon to. membership of the United Nations. It is quite true that Russia would no doubt give way here if Britain, France and the United. States would consent to the admission of Bulgaria, Rumania and Hungary, but these States have by their conduct disqualified them.: selves for admission ; the States Russia has once more vetoed are fully qualified. As for the General Assembly itself, it has a heavy, agenda of 72 items, which may be lengthened if such questions as the Russo-Yugoslav dispute are inscribed. Palestine, the Italian Colonies and Greece will all give rise to lengthy discussions, and Kashmir and Indonesia may have to be considered before the! Assembly rises. Meanwhile the Atlantic Pact States, at Washington, will be bringing the Defence Council provided for by the Treaty, into being, a step of immense importance, which may encounter difficulties as the details are worked out. According to some unofficial reports various military committees will be appointed for particular areas, the United States being an active member only of those con-. cerned with North America and the Atlantic Ocean Zone, and a consultative member of the Western European, Northern European and Mediterranean Basin committees. This forecast lacks authority* and in any case the difference is not fundamental, for America as a signatory of the Treaty would be morally bound, and would no doubt regard herself as morally bound, to stand by any co-signatory whose security was endangered. The reports of certain American Ambassadors in Europe show how urgent the need for constructive action by the Defence Council is.
