First Veto

Not once had the U.S. exercised its veto in the United Nations Security Council. Though the Soviet Union has voted "nyet" 105 times, it was implicit American policy to use the veto only in grave emergencies.

Thus it was curious that the U.S. last week cast its first U.N. veto against a resolution, supported by a majority of the Security Council, that would have condemned Britain for refusing to use military force to unseat the white minority government of Rhodesia.

The resolution was probably unwise; if Britain had indeed gone into Rhodesia with troops, some U.N. members might have made a reverse charge of outside interference. Also, Britain herself vetoed the resolution, making U.S. rejection unnecessary. The Administration has already closed the U.S. consulate in Rhodesia and has committed itself to the principle of black majority rule there. But in the Security Council, the U.S. gave an impression that it was retreating a step or two from the principle of black African self-government. In any case, the U.S. has now lost whatever purity went with avoiding the obstructionist's tool, the veto.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.