The outbreak of extended fighting between India and Pakistan—their third war since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947—is the inevitable consequence of brutal repression by the Government of Pakistan of its own people in East Bengal, of the self‐righteous intransigence of India's response and of the narrowly self‐serving policies of the great powers which resulted in an in excusable paralysis at the United Nations.

While the two giants of the subcontinent have inched step‐by‐step toward all‐out war, the world organization has frittered away precious opportunities to intervene for peace. It may now be too late to avert a calamity that will dwarf the past misfortunes of an area where disaster is almost a way of life. But the effort must be made, not only for the sake of the miserable one‐fifth of mankind who dwell on the subcontinent but because the present conflict could have repercussions far beyond the borders of India and Pakistan.

The Security Council can no longer ignore the call to action that was sounded by Secretary General Thant in a prescient warning months ago. In responding to this crisis, it is essential that the Council go beyond a simple call for a cease‐fire and address itself simultaneously to the root cause of the conflict—the repression in East Pakistan which has placed intolerable strains on the economic, social and political fabric of neighboring India.

India has acted rashly and irresponsibly with its initial provocative thrusts into East Pakistan. But New Delhi was moved by a deep and legitimate sense of injury and by a desperate frustration fed by the failure of the world community—especially the United States—to recognize and to attempt to repair that injury. This fundamental failure must be corrected if the world is to be saved from confronting still wider and more terrible war.