THE ROLE OF U.N.A.
Sta,—Heartiest thanks for your article Tripod of Peace, for its clear vision of the whole world-situation and of the parts in due proportion. If only we could all keep aware of the whole and not only of some one part or others—some pet country or pet panacea—in our reactions to the daily news, so that we might hold ourselves, and thus our statesmen, on a steady and vigilant course towards peace, security and prosperity! This is extremely difficult because we are all, almost inevitably, so pre- occupied with our immediate surroundings, domestic politics, business, family and personal interests, that we pay no real attention to foreign affairs as a whole except when it is too late to avert a fatal crisis. Looking back- over the inter-war years, one can easily see how all possibility of averting the second world-war was precluded by inattention
from the first (not, of course, in this country alone) to the basic facts which formed the very raison d'être of the League of Nations, that peace could only be kept by the co-operation of the powerful nations, and that such co-operation could only be lasting on condition of due attention to the rights of all nations and of minorities and subject peoples.
In _spite of the much-advertised and misunderstood failure of the League, all responsible statesmen found themselves forced by the logic of events to revive it under another name, recognising that it was not the principle that failed, but the nations that failed to act upon it. And at the present moment there is no-responsible statesman who would deny your downright assertion that "it is on unswerving, unceasing and tireless support of U.N.O. that any British foreign policy Must be based." Moreover, this assertion in no way runs counter to your insistence on the "Tripod of Peace," "an effective working partnership between Great Britain, the United States and Soviet Russia." On the contrary, the first requisite for the survival of the United Nations is co-operation between those three Great Powers.
Now, Sir, this is all plain enough ; but how to bring it home to the electorate? Above all, how to keep the electorate aware of these truths, so that, as time goes on, our human politicians may not be tempted to neglect them in the excitement of party strife? There is only one practical way that I can see ; and that is to have in every town and every country district an active branch of the United Nations Association, which will make it its business to keep its public well informed and alert to follow the trend of foreign affairs, to see beyond their immediate reactions to news and their apparent momentary interests, and to hold fast to the lifeline of "an unswerving, ceaseless and tireless support of U.N.0."
It is essential to have a permanent organisation such as U.N.A. to secure continuity for the work. There will never be enough distinguished and eloquent persons to keep up the interest by public meetings. Nor will the efforts of the elderly retired and of young people not yet fully employed suffice. A strong organisation at the centre and in the branches is needed to employ effective salaried speakers and discussion leaders as well as to encourage and make use of voluntary assistance. It is here that, it seems to me, comes in the opportunity and the duty of all thoughtful men and women whose love of their country and their families, if not of mankind, is sincere. Most of us are unable to givg...-much time to this work ; but we can support it as members of U.N.A. both by our subscriptions and by our influence in our own circles, as well as, in many cases, by occasional participation in its activities.
U.N.A. is not'and should not be a Government organ or Government controlled ; but it should be- emphatically a national association, keeping alive and expressing the nation's determination to empower and require each successive Government to pursue a policy of prudent, strong and purposeful co-operation with other nations for setting and keeping us all in the paths of peace and prosperity.—Yours faithfully,
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