Why is disarmament so elusive?

Title

Creator

Burke, Henry V.

Language

English

Year

1958

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

August, 1958 7 The tight military prepar edness race is greatly felt in the field of atomic-po wered missiles. Peace or War: The World's No. 1 Problem WHY IS DISARMAMENT SO ELUSIVE ? OBODY could legitimately dispute the statement that a lasting peace is desired by peoples of the world. What, then, prevents mankind from put ting a final end to war and threats of war? Why cannot the world’s governments agree on a workable system of disarma ment? Public consideration of these basic ques tions, unfortunately, is too often distracted by the confusing mass of disarmament pro posals, rejections and counter-proposals compiled since World War IIStripped of its voluminous technicalities, however, the world’s modern disarmament record provides a relatively simple frame work of facts from which any reader can determine his own answer to the 20th cen tury’s No. 1 dilemma: which nations really want peace and which nations are obstruct ing its achievement? Today, in the second half of a century which already has seen two devastating world wars and the development of nuclear weapons capable of total annihilation, all nations claim to be in agreement on the urgent need for a practical way to outlaw armed conflicts. The only missing item is world agreement on how such a solution can be brought about. At this point, the Soviet Union’s unique position as ideological spokesman for all Communist bloc nations becomes particu larly significant, because no disarmament plan can succeed without Communist co operation. By Henry V. Burke (Analyst and Writer on Soviet Affairs) Going a step farther, it can be assumed that the Soviet Union’s population, taken as a whole, would be favorably disposed to ward accepting any reasonable proposition which promised to end the world’s military preparedness race. Therefore, if the Soviet Union could be regarded simply as a na tional state in the accepted sense — a gov ernment representing the majority wishes of its people — the problems of disarma ment would be greatly simplified. The real difficulty, however, is simply this: the Soviet Union is not a national state in the accepted sense. Since Lenin led his Bolshevik revolution aries to power almost 41 years ago, the So viet Communist Party has made no secret of its extra-national aims, its fundamental program of world domination under the doctrinal guise of an international proleta rian dictatorship. It is this ultimate pur pose which governs the Soviet Union’s in ternational policies and makes the USSR a great deal more than just one member of the family of nations. In its international relationships, to be frank, the Soviet UnionUSSR complex is little more than a combi nation of directing forces for the wcrld Communist movement. (Continued on page 24) THE CROSS 24 WHY IS DISARMAMENT.... (Continued from page 7) This one fact helps to explain why it has been so difficult for the world’s nations to negotiate anything resembling a permanent disarmament agreement. While the typical Communist official functions publicly as a representative of a single state, or at most of the Sino-Soviet bloc, his real role is that of the long-term revolutionary planner who thrives on charges and counter-charges and finds international unrest and confusion the most promising atmosphere for his maneu versProof of these statements is in the Com munist record. Let’s go back to the Comintern’s sixth world congress in 1928- The theses and re solutions approved by this Soviet-directed international Communist organization were surprisingly frank on the matter of disar mament proposals: “It goes without saying that not a single Communist thought for a moment that the imperialists (general Communist term for non-Communist powers) would accept the Soviet disarmament proposals. . . The dis armament policy of the Soviet government must be utilized for purposes of agitation. . as a means: (1) for recruiting sympathi zers for the Soviet Union — the champion of peace and communism (i.e., leader of in ternational Communism), (2) for utilizing the results of the Soviet disarmament po licy and Us exposure of the imperialists in the effort to eradicate all pacifist illusions and to carry on propaganda among the masses in-support of the only way disarma ment and abolition of.war, viz., arming of the proletariat, overthrowing the bour geoisie and establishing the proletarian dic tatorship.” In other words. Communist disarmament proposals are designed to confuse the is sues, create internationl frictions and hin der such peace efforts as do not contribute to the long-range Communist plan to create an atmosphere favorable to world revolu tion. The Communist view, simply express ed, is that peace is not acceptable except at the price of world Communism. Going back to 1919, we find V. I. Lenin establishing a definite Communist policy concerning international pledges, the core of all disarmament proposals. As the founder of Soviet Communism, Le nin made it known that he regarded peace treaties merely as stepping stones in the build-up of Comrftunist power- “It is ridi culous.” he told his followers, “not to know Devotion to St. JUDE Please publish this letter of thanks to St. Jude. I would like to thank this very powerful saint for all the favors I have received through his intercession. Recently, 1 got another very great favor be cause of his help. It was granted to me after my novena to him. I promised, too, publication of my thanks to St. Anthony and to St. Rita. — A Grateful One, Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Will you please publish this let ter of thanks in your column for the devotion, to St. Jude? Although this letter is overdue, I still want to thank him for all his help dur ing my past examinations in school. — A Grateful Child, J., Manila. This is to fulfill a promise to thank publicly Our Mother of Per petual Help and St. Jude. I have been the recipient of great favors because of their powerful interces sion. I hope more people will turn to them for aid. — A Grateful Child, San Quintin, Abra. Kindly publish my ■ letter of thanks to our Mother of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Fiat, St. Jude anti St. Anthony, for their help in my studies. I want everybody to know of their power and kindness. I hope this letter will spread de votion to St. Jude and the others. — A Student, St. Mary’s College, Bayombong, Nuqva Vizcaya. that a treaty is a means of gaining strength.” Communist theory and doctrine, since Lenin’s death, has abounded in speculation as to the degree of violence -the overthrow of Communism’s opponents will require. But at no time has the basic goal been de nied; Lenin is still quoted as the ultimate authority for all Soviet Party undertak ings. Premier Niki I a Khrushchev underscored this in 1955 by declaring: "We have never renounced and will not renounce our politi cal line chartered for us by Lenin.”

Media