THE NATIONS: UNO to U. S.

In London last week UNO's Preparatory Commission, setting out to solve world problems in a democratic way, decided by two-thirds of a vote, after three weeks of discussion and ten days of giddy procedural maneuvering to place the world organization's permanent home in the U.S. For a decision, 29⅓ votes were necessary: the U.S. got 30.

The U.S. delegation, which abstained from voting (but not from lobbying and talking) on the issue, promised to abstain in a realer sense when the commission decides between U.S. sites. The British want Boston (Irish population 40%), which gives it a lead over Philadelphia, Flushing Meadows, Newport, St. Louis and San Francisco. The UNO will insist that it be given an enclave for the site; this would mean that part of the selected city would no longer be part of the U.S.