Now, members of the committee, with your permission I would like to make an interpolation here, which I will hand to the clerk, in the same spirit and along the same lines as what I have been saying. But I thought this ought to go into this statement of mine; with your permission I thought it ought to go in. The CHAIRMAN. We will be very glad to let you do so. DISARMAMENT We should also use the United Nations as a means for pressing on with our hopes and aspirations for disarmament. Every human being in the world today lives in the shadow of atomic warfare which could destroy civilization as we know it, and, quite possibly, corrupt the blood stream of the human race. The United Nations is the best instrument mankind has for holding this terrible situation before the conscience of the world, and for demanding action to reduce the danger. If we could have an effective system of international disarmament, we could not only preserve mankind from an atomic destruction, but also reduce the danger of war. On a number of occasions, when I was President, I put before the United Nations and the peoples of the world proposals for atomic and conventional disarmament. In 1946, under my direction, the United States delegation laid before the United Nations at a time when we had a monopoly on atomic weapons a comprehensive system for the international control of atomic energy, including atomic weapons. As you will recall, this proposal received overwhelming support throughout the world but was blocked by Soviet opposition. Again, in October 1950, and November 1951, while the Korean conflict was still raging, I urged a step-by-step disarmament procedure-including an inventory of weapons, negotiations for their reduction, and a foolproof inspection system that would command the confidence of all nations and be to the disadvantage of none. The General Assembly responded, and established a new disarmament commission, which has been at work on the problem in recent years. These activities should be continued, no matter what the difficulties may be, nor how many obstructions the Communists may interpose. For there is nothing more important to the human race. And there is no greater service the United Nations can render. LESSON OF KOREA In conclusion, gentlemen, I urge you to continue to give your strong support to the United Nations. It is helping to build up international understanding and friendship among people by the nations working together on economic and social problems. It serves as a conscience for mankind. More than once it has kept the peace where a serious outbreak threatened-as it did in Iran and in Indonesia. And in the fateful summer of 1950, when the aggressor broke the peace of the world in Korea, the United Nations met the challenge. For the first time in history, an international organization organized effective collective resistance to armed aggression. This is the great lesson of Korea. U. N. ALREADY A GOOD AND GREAT INSTRUMENT I'm sure the United Nations can be improved. If we continue to give it our firm support, I'm sure it will be improved. But let us be everlastingly careful not to throw away the good and great instrument we already have in a search for something better. Gentlemen, I thank you. REMARKS OF CHAIRMAN ON PRESIDENT TRUMAN'S STATEMENT The CHAIRMAN. Mr. President, we thank you for your appearance, and we thank you for your very thoughtful suggestions. I am quite sure that what you have said will be highly influential with this committee in approaching the problem of amending or changing or altering the United Nations Charter with a great deal of caution and care. The members of the committee will probably desire to ask some questions, and I believe the two ranking Republican members have been excused for a few minutes. Senator Green, would you care to ask any questions? REMARKS OF SENATOR GREEN Senator GREEN. Well, Mr. President, let me congratulate you on this statement. It is not only convincing and persuasive, but it is 'complete. Mr. TRUMAN. Thank you. Senator GREEN. So complete that I have no questions to ask. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Holland is a member of the subcommittee on the United Nations Charter, not a member of this committee, I regret to say. Senator Holland, you may have some questions that you would like to ask. AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE'S CONCERN IN FOREIGN RELATIONS Senator HOLLAND. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. President, I congratulate you warmly on this statement. My presence on this subcommittee probably results from the fact that I have been active in the Committee on Agriculture. We found that so much of the time of that committee in these troublesome times in the world has been spent on such matters as wheat for India, wheat for Pakistan, the disposal of surplus commodities abroad, and the furnishing of supplies to the President so that in time of emergency he may quickly give abroad of our abundance where that giving of food and fiber may be most worth while. FLORIDA'S INTEREST IN PROBLEMS OF AMERICAN NATIONS Or, perhaps my presence on the subcommittee may be accounted for by the fact that the State which I happen to represent directly is in almost the geographic and population center of the Western Hemisphere and with us, of course, the problems of American nations loom very large, so that may be the reason why I am here. “INFLEXIBLE DEMANDS FOR PARTICULAR CHANGES" I particularly appreciated your statement of warning which is found in the paragraph at the top of page 4 of your prepared remarks. You warn there that we should look long before we go into any conference "with inflexible demands for particular changes," and warn that in the event any review conference resulted in a clash which would bring out solely the defects of the existing organization and its operations, rather than concentrating on its manifest accomplishments, such a result might be harmful rather than helpful to our long-time objectives. QUESTION OF UNITED STATES COMMITMENTS AT SAN FRANCISCO ON CHARTER REVIEW Along that line, I am mindful of the fact that at San Francisco certain assurances are stated to have been given, particularly to Latin American nations, that there would be an effort for revision at the end of the 10-year period, and that some of the smaller nations are stated to have become members upon the giving of the assurance that we, at least, would be helpful at the time that the 10-year history would have been made. I wonder if, for the record, you would care to comment upon what you regard as the commitments, if any, that were made by our Nation to be helpful in securing changes of the charter which were desired at San Francisco by weaker nations. Mr. TRUMAN. I don't know of any specific commitments, Senator, but I think it was understood, as was the understanding with the Constitutional Convention of the United States in 1787, that there would be an opportunity, and it was placed in the charter, for consideration of amendments-I have no objection to their consideration, but I want to be very sure that we don't lose what we have. Senator HOLLAND. Well, may I ask this question: Is it your understanding, then, that we are not in the position of being obligated to any group of weaker nations or any weaker nation to support them in their effort for revisions of the charter which they desired at San Francisco and which they still desire? Mr. TRUMAN. I don't think that we should take any attitude of standing in the way of a concerted effort on the part of the nations. who are members of the United Nations and who signed the charter, if they want to consider amendments; I think we should go along and consider them, but that does not necessarily mean that we have to support the passage of those amendments or on our part do anything that would tear the United Nations apart. That is the thing I am most. interested in. APPROACHING CHARTER CHANGE Senator HOLLAND. Would it be fair to say that your attitude in approaching the matter of amendment would be to approach it in a collective spirit with those nations which have shown their desire to support and uphold and strengthen the United Nations, and not to move forward unless there be a strong desire on the part of the known peace-loving nations to move in the direction of strengthening the charter at this time? Mr. TRUMAN. Senator, I think I made that perfectly clear in the statement which I have just made. Senator HOLLAND. One more series of questions I would like to ask, Mr. President. REGIONAL ARRANGEMENTS Under the resolution under which we are functioning, this subcommittee is charged, and empowered, not only to study the question of possible amendment of the United Nations Charter, but also to look into the matter of the functioning of the regional security arrangements which have been made, some of them by your strong support and assistance, for which I commend you, in the effort to gain security for regions under the aegis of the United Nations, such as NATO, the Organization of American States, the SEATO organization, which has been made in more recent times, the ANZUS organization, and the like. Of course, since that is within the scope of our duty, and particularly because changes there might be much more easily accomplished than in connection with the larger objective of charter amendment, I wonder if you are prepared to make specific suggestions as to strengthening or changing the functions of any of those organizations which are certainly of very great importance to this Nation. Mr. TRUMAN. They are of vital importance, Senator. My views are well on record, as you know. I was very much in favor of these organizations to which you have referred, and I think it is a wonderful thing for your committee to go into that, but I have no specific recommendations to make to you as a committee. Senator HOLLAND. Well, thank you, Mr. President. Senator HOLLAND. You have been very helpful. REMARKS OF SENATOR KNOWLAND Senator KNOWLAND. Mr. President, I wish to join with Senator George and the others who have expressed our appreciation for your coming here today and giving the committee the benefit of your experience as President of the United States in working with the United Nations. I think you have given a constructive point of view which the committee desires to have, and we are approaching it in the spirit as indicated by Senator George, as Americans rather than as partisans, in meeting this issue before us. I think it is well, and the American people are pleased, that appearing before us are the only two living men who have held the high office of President, you, today, and former President Hoover who will be here, I believe, on Thursday, who have had experience in the international field-he in the matter of feeding hungry people, and you in operating under the United Nations Charter, being the only President outside of our present one who has had experience in such operations. There are just a couple of questions that I would like to ask, with your permission. Mr. TRUMAN. I would be glad to answer them, Senator, if I can, and I thank you for that statement. Senator KNOWLAND. I think what we are all seeking is to find ways of strengthening the organization to do the things that the people had hoped might be accomplished. Mr. TRUMAN. I am sure of that. QUESTION OF EFFECTIVE U. N. ACTION FOR COLLECTIVE SECURITY Senator KNOWLAND. Now, one of them is this question of effective action for collective security. I think the entire country was in agreement when the United Nations passed its resolution condemning the aggression in Korea, asking the free world and the members of the United Nations to contribute forces to the resistance of the aggression. But frankly, I was not quite satisfied in feeling that it was effective collective security in action when out of the 60 members, as you know, only 16 of them outside of the United States supplied any forces. Those 16 supplied, if my figures are correct, approximately 45,000 to our 450,000. We rotated approximately a million men through the far eastern theater and for 3 years of the Korean war, and the little Republic of Korea, which is not a member of the organization, having been kept out by Soviet veto, supplied about 650,000. So that means that all of the other members put together supplied 45,000 men, out of about a million and fifty thousand men who were there. I was wondering if you had given thought as to what we might do in the event of future need of collective action, to encourage the other members who gained certain benefits under the charter, and presumably have assumed certain obligations under the charter, to make a common contribution? Mr. TRUMAN. Senator, I think the principal reason that a great many of the nations did not make military contributions to the effort in Korea was due to the fact that they were not financially able to do it, and I think that when the prosperity of those nations is increased and they get into a position where the can contribute more to the United Nations, I think the vast majority of them would come across. Senator KNOWLAND. You would feel, would you, Mr. President, that if nations are to get the benefits, and we believe there are material benefits under the United Nations Charter, they will also, like a citizen of our country, assume certain obligations to contribute when their aid is needed? Mr. TRUMAN. I agree with that and I think they would, and you must understand, too, that in order to get some of our citizens to cooperate, we have to draft them. EXPULSION FROM U. N. Senator KNOWLAND. Now, Mr. President, there is one additional question I would like to explore with you within the terms and obligations of the United Nations Charter, and, as you have indicated, members should assume their obligations under the charter. Have you given thought to, or would you be prepared to discuss with us, just what should be done in the event a nation violates a provision of the charter or violates the resolutions which the United Nations passes for collective security, and is not, in a broad sense of the word, a good 42435-55-pt. 12-2 |