Global Gendarmerio

Through a small miracle of timing and placement, the news story revealing definite preparations for a United Nations armed force, appeared in Tuesday's papers neatly juxtaposed with a tailor-made of the need for a Force: the story of the plot against the French government. This melodramatic plan thus highlighted one of the most heartening moves in recent months in the direction of an autonomous supra-national authority in world affairs.

Swallowing a regret that it should take place on a military level only, one can still examine with interest this approach to accord. The force suggested by the United States to the four other subscribing powers would consist of twenty divisions, 1250 bombers, 2250 pursuit planes, and a variegated complement of assault ships and cruisers. The total number of men involved might approach the million mark, but the force would in any event be large enough to "halt any conflict, though not too large to constitute too heavy a burden," as the French delegation reservedly put it.

Not unexpectedly, the pesky Russians are not yet overboard on the idea. The Soviet delegation would like first to see a more definitive decision on principles. Concretely, the Russian military will press for equal contributions in all categories by all the signatory powers, and may very well win its point.

Though the French delegation's statement also left a cautious door open, it may overnight have become reconciled to the desirability of a Force by the amazing sight of a Rightist underground plot that almost succeeded (though the attendant fanfare makes it possible that the danger was not so close a thing as advertised). In any event, the big precedent of a strong world police force seems for the first time something more than a vague wish. If nations are indeed merely individuals writ large, the states of the world may soon be learning the delights of having a cop handy when there is a criminal loose in the neighborhood.