I NTERN ATION AL,UNITED NATIONS: Blow at China

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INTERNATIONAL

UNITED NATIONS

Eleven days after the U.S. formally proposed it, the U.N. Assembly voted a strategic embargo against Red China and North Korea. Russia's Jacob Malik and Soviet satellite spokesmen growled: "Illegal . . . shameful." India's Sir Senegal Rau fretted: "[It] may add to the difficulties of an honorable settlement by creating yet another psychological hurdle." Turkey's Selim Sarper retorted: "[It] is only a beginning and a modest one." At debate's end, an overwhelming U.N. majority agreed with the Turkish spokesman, swiftly brushed protest and doubt aside. The Assembly approved the measure 47 to 0. The five Soviet bloc members refused to take part in the vote; eight other nations (Afghanistan, Burma, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sweden, Syria) abstained but indicated they would abide by the majority decision.

The Assembly recommended that: ¶No shipments be sent by "any state" to Red China and Korea of "arms, ammunition and implements of war, atomic energy materials, petroleum, and items useful in the production of arms." ¶Each nation determine which of its exports are of "warmaking character" and subject to embargo.

¶All nations cooperate in a ban on transshipment of goods embargoed by others.

The Assembly's action, achieved in a burst of U.N. speed and decision unmatched since the Russianless Security Council resolution against North Korean aggression in June 1950, had been hastened by various factors: 1) Douglas MacArthur's testimony, 2) belated U.S. diplomatic pressure, 3) Conservative prodding of Britain's Labor government, 4) the new Red offensive in Korea.

The Assembly's recommendations provided no joint enforcement machinery, could not keep the Soviet bloc from trading as it pleased. But there was no doubt that the embargo could seriously hamper Red China's war-making capability (see below). By voting for it, the U.N. had struck a telling moral blow at Communist aggression, had shown that even nations who would like to be neutral are stiffening against Communist China.