No Easy Road

The U.S. State Department finally offered an official pre-glimpse of the World Security Conference in San Francisco. It was not a gloomy glimpse, but it revealed obstacles on the road to an enduring peace.

Veto by Five. Most important was the official version of the Security Council voting rules adopted by the Big Three (TIME, Feb. 19). The votes of seven of the eleven members of the Council are necessary for any action. Any nation, however small, may bring up a complaint for world discussion. If the complaint is against one of the Council's eleven members--even one of the Big Five--that country must abstain from both the discussion and the voting. In other words, any seven members of the Council may draw an indictment.

But any of the Big Five can veto a verdict or a sentence. When a vote is taken on whether a nation is actually engaged in aggression, whether to use force against it, etc., seven votes (including the votes of all the Big Five) will be required.

Said Secretary Stettinius, explaining the procedure to the Latin American Conference (and asking the Latin republics to submit their criticisms in writing rather than air them at Mexico City):

"If the dispute is not settled by [the Council acting with all members on a basis of equality], the major question before the Council is whether force needs to be employed. In that event, it is necessary that the vote of the permanent members of the Council be unanimous. They are the nations which possess in sufficient degree the industrial and the military strength to prevent aggression. However, the decisions of the Council can be reached in such a case only by a majority of seven members, which means that the permanent members cannot alone decide to take action. It also means that the nonpermanent members can prevent action."

Hosts and Guests. On behalf of Russia, Britain and China, the U.S. invited 39 other "United Nations" to San Francisco on April 24. Still huffed by its cavalier treatment at Yalta and after, France agreed to attend the Conference but not to sponsor it.

The list of guests showed that, at best, Europe's representation will be weak. All of its Governments are provisional or exiled. Only Norway will represent Scandinavia. Last week's invitations skipped Poland entirely. It will be represented at San Francisco only if the compromise Government agreed on at Yalta is formed in time.

Invitations went last week to three countries--Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia--which scurried under the wire by March 1, the deadline for war declarations set at Yalta. Syria and Lebanon also beat the deadline, but were not invited (they are still juridically French mandates). Korea's Provisional Government in Chungking tried to get a place by declaring war on Japan, but did not yet rate membership in the United Nations.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.