World History

On April 25: Most Important Meeting in World History

rpHE most important assembly m the A history of the human race will take place in San Francisco on April 25 1945. Representatives of all the belligerent nations—except Axis and non-liberated nations—will gather there to create an international organisation which will prevent another World War, and which may take steps to remove the causes of war (greed, poverty, injustice, oppression), World War I ended in an Armistice, based on the Fourteen Points of President Wilson. The Fourteen Points provided for the creation of a League of Nations—which was to prevent future wars. The League was hamstrung from its inception mostly because two of the world’s four greatest nations, United States and Russia, were not members. USA, home of the Fourteen Points, swung to isolationism, and abandoned the League. Russia was in the throes of revolution. From about 1931, the League became merely a gorgeous facade at Geneva, and the Rome- Berlin-Tokio Axis, unchecked, prepared for World War 11.

Having bv a escanpd g thp npHis S nf l i e Q‘RQ°L m 5 C i 0S ’

Ji.? ? enl . s °f 1939-42 and become world-dominant in 1944-45, the three Great Powers of Britain, United States and Russia are planning an

international authority which will prevent war. In September and October, 1944, the representatives of the United Nations (United States, Russia, Britain and China) met in conference at Dumbarton Oaks, United States; and they there ham mered out the framework of a plan for an international organisation designed to police the post-war world, forbid wars and, above all, re move the economic and social condi tions which lead to international friction.

The conference finished on October 7, and the outline of the plan quickly was submitted to every non-Axis Government in the world. Wholly in principle, and generally in substance, it was approved by all the Allied nations (over 20).

WHEN the Big Three (Churchill, " Roosevelt and Stalin) met at Yalta, In the Crimea, in January, and got ready for the final and early destruction of the power of Germany and Japan, they resolved also that there should be a very early confer ence of all the nations, to form the international organisation outlined at Dumbarton Oaks. That is the con ference to be opened in San Francisco on April 25.

The proposed set-up has as yet no

name: it still is referred to as “an organisation.” It must have a head quarters; but no place has even been hinted at.

Practically all the non-Axis nations capable of expressing an opinion have approved the plan; but, whether they approve or not, the plan will go through, and will function, because the Big Three, being in this matter completely in accord, have agreed that it shall. The rest of the nations will do what they are told—or else!

Those of us who have seen the horrors of two World Wars, and wit nessed the pitiful breakdown of the League of Nations because it was too cumbersome, and had no teeth, can but thank God that at last there has arisen an authority (the Big Three) strong enough to really take charge of world affairs, and with vision enough to make an intelligent attempt to drag humanity out of the morass into which it has fallen.

The Dumbarton Oaks plan, which the ’Frisco conference will implement, is too long for publication'here. But we have compiled, from the official report issued on October 11, the following summary of its recommen dations:

Dumbarton Oaks Plan

AN organisation is to be set up to main tain international peace and secur ity, by collective action. There must be international co-operation in the solu tion of economic and social and other humanitarian problems, which otherwise might lead to international friction, and

to war. A centre is to be found, where international action for these purposes may be harmonised.

In pursuit of these purposes, the members of the international organisation should act in accordance with a set of principles, which include the sovereign equality of all peace-loving nations; and each member to accept certain obligations for the purpose of maintaining world-wide peace. Each member is to assist the organisation where necessary in enforcing the Charter, and to refrain from assisting non-member States in resisting the organisation. All peaceting States may become members.

The structure of the organisation should be; A General Assembly; a Security Council; an International Court of Justice; a Secretariat; and whatever subsidiary agencies may be found necessary.

The General Assembly, comprising representatives of member States in numbers fixed by their individual char-

ters, should meet annually to consider any matters relating to the maintenance of international peace, and to make recommendations concerning same to the Security Council, and to other executive agencies of the organisation. Each mem ber should have one vote, and important decisions should be made only by a two thirds majority.

Subject to certain clearly defined rules, the security Council should be the execu five boc jy of the organisation, and should exer cise absolute power in carrying out the ob j ec ts of the organisation: and all mem ber States should accept the obliga tion to support the Council in that respect. The Council should consist of one representative of each of 11 States (five of which should always represent Britain, United States, Russia, France an fi china, and six elected by the Gen eral Assembly). Voting procedure in the Security Council has still to be fixed. The Security Council should function contmu ously; but, while each member State

should have permanent representation at the organisation’s headquarters, the Council should have liberty to meet any where, at any time.

The International Court of Justice should be constituted in accordance with a Statute which would be part of the Charter of the organisation.

International disputes which threaten peace should be dealt with immediately by the Security Council, which is empow ered to take any action deemed neces sary. Normally, disputes which appear

incapable of settlement by negotiation, should go to the Court of Justice. But if the threat to peace is urgent, or if reference to the Court is impracticable, or if the authority of the Council or the Court is defied, then the Council may take any measures it thinks fit to main tain the peace, including the use of armed force.

“Nothing in the Charter should preclude the existence of regional arrangements or agencies for dealing with such matters relating to the maintenance of inter national peace and security as are appro priate for regional action’ —but, of course, all regional arrangements are to be in accord with the purposes and principles of the organisation.

The General Assembly should set up an Economic and Social Council for “the creation of conditions of stability and well-being, which are necessary for peace ful and friendly relations among nations.”

The General Assembly would nominate 18 States, whose representatives would constitute the E. and S. Council. The Council would have a permanent Secre tariat. and would have power to carry out the decisions of the General Assem bly; to make recommendations, on its own initiative, to the Assembly; to receive and consider renorts from all agencies brought into relationship with the organisation.

TO better understand what is planned, a comparison may be made between the League of Nations and the proposed set-up, which may be called DO (Dumbarton Oaks).

In the League, the paramount authority lay with the General Assembly, which was composed of the representatives of "'some 50 little nations, and a few big nations, and in which the vote of the little nation was almost equal to that of the big nation. The Council appeared to be important—actually, it was dragged always at the tail of the Assembly.

The DO plan places the authority wholly and absolutely in the hands of the Security Council, which can en force the co-operation of member States in maintaining peace.

In the League set-up, the nations could withdraw, and ignore their obligations, and little could be done about it.

Under the DO plan, nations which do not join the “organisation” will be at a very grave disadvantage in world affairs; and those who do wish to enter may not do so until they have given certain undertakings that they will support the Council in whatever police actions the Council considers necessary.

In the League organisation, the con trol was clumsy and top-heavy. In the new set-up, the control will be in the hands of a permanent Security Council of eleven persons, five of them the direct representatives of the Big Three, France and China.

Under the League, any nation which decided to defy the League’s wishes (seizure of Manchuria by Japan, and of Abyssinia by Italy, for example) could “get away with it.” But, under the DO plan, the Security Council need not wait even for Assembly discussion; it will have authority to immediately attack the offending nation with the strong forces per manently at its disposal.

Small disputes in distant places

could not be dealt with by the top heavy and centralised League. But the DO plan provides for “regional

arrangements,” so that local disputes can be settled locally, with reference to the central authority necessary only when all other means fail.

The League, theoretically, tried to remove the causes of war, but actually it did nothing. The DO proposal provides for a special Economic and Social Council, with wide powers, the general purpose of which is to re move the economic and social causes of friction between nations.

Before the new “organisation” can function, the huge but useless struc ture of the League of Nations (which in 1928 was costing about £1,000.000 per annum) has to be got out of the way and liquidated.

Mr. Henry Dexter, formerly a trader at Milne Bay, Papua, and now a tomato planter at “Samarai,” Hayling Island, Hants., England, is 80 years old on March 26, In a recent letter, he sends greetings ■to Papua friends—and one infers from his remarks that, while his body is in Hayling Island, his heart remains with his memories in his old trade-store on Milne Bay.