Panel Analyzes Role Small Nations Play in Balance of Political Power

Three panelists could not agree yesterday on the future role of small nations in world politics.

Erwin D. Canham, Editor of the Christian Science Monitor, and Kenneth N. Waltz, Visiting Lecturer on Government from Swarthmore, felt that the smaller nations will play a relatively small part in world politics. Stanley H. Hoffmann, professor of Government, predicted, however, that their role will be a crucial one.

Canham pointed out that the United States has abandoned its attempt to defeat Communism in the near future and has tacitly accepted the concept of a bipolar world. He saw the role of the small countries as one of maintaining contact between the two great powers. "More contact," he emphasized, "is essential for a stable and rational relationship between the two world leaders."

Alliances Breaking Up

Agreeing with Canham, Waltz pointed out that "the western and eastern alliances are breaking up, but the United States and the Soviet Union are so powerful that they will maintain the balance of power even without the support of the small countries." He also said that the smaller nations will only be able to act as advisers to the two larger ones.

Hoffmann conceded that the United States and Russia will remain the only two important nuclear powers, but explained that "the small countries will gain more and more diplomatic power in the next few years. This will lead to an extremely unstable world situation," he said.

The panel was held under the auspices of the HCUA's exchange program with the University of Toronto.