Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.WORLD FORUMThe ninth annual session of the United Nations GeneralAssembly in New York is the first time this body has metwithout having to consider a stooting war somewhere in theworld. But there are still many issues at hand. The first day,the U. S. succeeded in preventing the admission of Red Chinafor another year. Several items on the Assembly agenda reflect strains between underdeveloped countries and the West.The Asian and Arab countries are strongly supporting demands for the independence of Morocco and Tunisia. TheAssembly also agreed to debate Indonesia's request that theNetherlands give her West New Guinea, and Greece's call fora plebescite to decide the future of Cyprus. In both cases theU. S. was caught in an embarrassing dilemma and abstainedfrom voting. India has brought in complaints of South Africa'sdiscrimination against non-white residents, and Jewish spokesmen have asked for a U. N. inquiry into anti-Semitism inRussia and other Communist countries.AGAIN THE MIGHTY ATOMIn his opening speech to the U. N. Assembly, Secretary ofState Dulles renewed President Eisenhower's proposal for international cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy.He made clear Russia's responsibility for blocking the earliernegotiations on this project. Russia will not cooperate withouta ban on atomic weapons, but she will not agree to any reliable measures for enforcing such a ban. Dulles proposed aworld bank, under the U. N., to help develop atomic energy,and called for an international scientific congress on the subject next spring.A brief announcement from Moscow reveals the explosionof another atomic bomb, probably somewhere in Siberia. Thismakes the sixth atomic test Russia is known to have carriedout, compared with forty-four for the U. S. The news will nothelp to calm the Japanese, who still have vivid memories ofHiroshima and Nagasaki. They have reacted somewhat hysterically to the death of one of the fishermen who was burnedby atomic dust from our Bikini tests last March.TROUBLE FOR JOESenator Watkins' special committee to consider chargesagainst Senator McCarthy won general respect by its fairnessand its success in keeping the Wisconsin Senator within reasonable bounds inhis testimony. The committee's reportrecommends that the whole Senate censure McCarthy on twogrounds: (1) his failure to appear before a 1951-52 electionssubcommittee investigating his finances; and (2) his abuse ofGeneral Ralph Zwicker. The committee declined to recommendcensure for his abuse of other Senators. McCarthy's action inurging federal employees to give him classified informationwas called "improper," and his own publication of classifiedmaterial a "graveneither matter required formal censure.error;"but the committee decided thatRepublican leaders have again demonstrated their weakness on this issue by deciding not to recall the Senate, toconsider the censure report, until just after the Novemberelections. Nevertheless the matter will be fully discussed during the campaign. McCarthy certainly has lost further prestigeas a result of the committee hearings and report. Even beforethe report came out, he had retired from the campaign, partlyfor reasons of health.October 6, 1954BATTLE FOR NEW YORKAfter a spirited battle within the party, New York Demcr--crats have nominated Averell Harriman for governor. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., the other leading contender, accepted anomination for Attorney General instead. He thus gives uphis chance for re-election to the U. S. House of Representatives, which would ordinarily be considered a more desirableposition. The breach caused by the pre-convention battle willnot easily be healed. Harriman's nomination was pushedthrough by the Tammany machine of New York City, andthere are no upstate Democrats in the ticket. Harriman hasnever before run for an elective office, though he was a contender for the 1952 Presidential nomination; but he has hadextensive experience in business and in administrative anddiplomatic positions under the federal government. To opposehim the Republicans have nominated Senator Irving Ives, who