Basic HTML Version
AHISTORIC MESSAGE
FROM HERBERT W. ARMSTROIG
Because this message is particular/y
relevant to crises confronting the world
today, we are reprinting i t from the Aug.–
Sept. 1970
PLAIN TRUTH
in this
commemorati ve issue.
A FTER TWENTY-FIVE years,
1
re–
~
turned to the historie site of
the San Francisco Confer–
ence. lt was the 25th anniversary of
the signing of the United Nations
Charter - the San Francisco Com–
memorative Meeting, 26th of June,
1970.
Many who attended that confer–
ence, where the United Nations
Charter was drawn up, are not
among the living today. That
in–
eludes my wife, who attended the
several-weeks-long conference with
me. Once again,
1
was seated in a
booth in the press gallery. And this
time, photographers and writers on
The
PLAIN TRUTH staff were with
me.
Once again, as in the plenary ses–
sions a quarter century ago, it was
opened, not with prayer, but with a
moment's silence - which !asted ten
to fifteen seconds. Once again, the
anniversary memorial meeting was
opened on an optimistic note. The
presiding chairman said we were
here, 25 years ago, in a spirit of
optimism ; and he expressed hope
we returned, now, with renewed op–
timism.
Actually, the true state of affairs
in the world was more accurately
expressed that same evening at the
commemorative dinner at the Fair–
mount Hotel atop Nob Hill.
It
was
summed up by the Secretary-Gen–
eral of the United Nations, U
Thant.
Secretary-General U Thant sum–
marized 25 years of U.N. "progress"
with these words: "Now we meet
again in a mood of uncertainty and
12
anxiety, with only the knowledge
that humanity is moving at an in–
creasing speed in uncertain direc–
tions, and that time is running
short. .. ."
After 25 years of the United Na–
tions, its Secretary-General contin–
ued: "Where has national interest
led us? To an arsenal of ugly weap–
ons, which cost humanity 200 thou–
sand million dollars [$200 billion] a
year; to the greatest historical dead–
lock between Big Powers that the
world has ever seen; to north-south,
east-west, ideological, racial and
economic cleavages; to a belt of di–
vided countries; to a series of smol–
dering or active conílicts stretching
across the globe."
World War Il was the "war to end
all wars." The United Nations was
the world " peace effort" to prevent
further wars. What are the results
after a quarter century?
There have been more than 50
wars.
The U.N. has contributed to the
sbortening of four wars.
BUT -
There is no evidence to show that
the United Nations has PRE!VENTED
any war!
Let me give you a few of the
statements I heard in the press gal–
lery 25 years ago, spoken with great
solemnity in opening plenary ses–
sions:
Said Anthony Eden ofGreat Brit–
ain: " ... the work on which we are
making a start here may be the
WORLD'S LAST CHANCE."
General Jan Smuts of South
Af–
rica, whom 1 interviewed person-
ally: "If San Francisco fails, then I
see nothing but stark disaster before
mankind.... Scientific discoveries
have been made in this war which
might mean the END OF THE HUMAN
RACE."
General Romulo of the Philip–
pines: "This may be our LAST OP–
PORTUNITY TO ACHlEVE PEACE."
And many other such sober, omi–
nous warnings.
But after the plenary sessions, the
delegates - foreign secretaries, sec–
retaries of state, high officials in the
world's great powers- got down to
real business in many prívate ses–
sions. And then what happened -
25 years ago?
Here is what I wrote in San Fran–
cisco then:
* * * *
This is Sunday, April 29, 1945. It
is a grave moment in history.
We are in the last days of World
War
11.
The Nazis are disintegrating
on all fronts. It appears only a mat–
ter of days, now. But already world
Ieaders are looking toward World
War III. This historie San Francisco
Conference is the world's effort to
prevent it and bring in world peace.
"The world's last chance," says An–
thony Eden of this conference.
Power Politics in Action
Never in the history of mankind
has anything like this taken place. It
is the greatest, most elaborate con–
ference of world leaders ever held. 1
have had the rare privilege of being
one of the writers and radio com–
mentators credentialled to the con–
ference.
Here I have talked with world
statesmen. Here
1
have been seeing
power politics in action. Here I have
witnessed somethlng of the subtle,
yet fateful arts, skiJI, and strategy
called statecraft and diplomacy - in
living action as instruments for self–
ish national advantage.
In the plenary sessions of the con–
ference we hear beautiful oratory
enunciating lofty aims of altruism
and world peace - to be printed in
newspapers throughout the world