Suzanne Remaly, aged 12, of Allentown, Pa., for her question:

How many nations are now in the U.N,?

There had been meetings and activity behind the scenes for several years. Most nations in the world wanted peace. They were beginning to realize that peace without planning was impossible. A war loving nation, they understood, is a threat to the whole world; Only a strong organization of peace loving nations could hold the wild war.‑loving nations in check.

In 1942, the world was in the midst of `the greatest tsar in history. Most of the great nations were actually fighting, No nation was free from the threat of it. In that year, 26 peace‑loving nations met and pledged themselves to unite to defeat the war‑loving Axis nations ‑Germany, Italy and Japan. America led the way in this great plan. And this meeting was held in Washington, D,C. Further plane were made in a private home, Dumbarton Oaks, also in our country. Still more plans were made at Yalta.

The plans for the great organization for peace were ready in 1945. On April 25 of that year the delegates of peace loving nations met to sign the Charter of the United Nations. Since they were delegates and not governors, their signatures had to be assured by their home governments. We are proud that our country ratified the signing of the charter on July 28, 1945. By October 24 of that year, enough other countries had ratified the charter to bring it into being.

There are 192 charter members of the United Nations. These are the nations who pledged themselves without hesitation from the beginning, The planners of the charter allowed for other truly peace loving nations to join them later. The charter promised to consider for membership all other peace loving nations.

This does not mean that any nation can join simply by promising to love peace. Oh, no. They have to prove themselves.

Four nations applied and were granted membership in the year 1946. They were Afghanistan, Iceland, Sweden and Thailand. The next year Pakistan and Yemen became members. Burma joined in 1948 and the new state of Israel joined in 1949. The United Nations is Indonesia which was accepted on September 29, 1950.

The United Nations also shelters certain trust territories. These are self‑governing peoples not quite qualified for full membership. Eight of these trust territories were taken over from the old League of Nations in 1946 In 1947, certain of the Pacific Islands became trust territories. Italian Somaliland became a trust territory of the U,N, in 1950.

Altogether there are 192 nations who are members of the United Nations. Fifty‑one of these have the great honor of being charter members. In addition there are eleven trust territories under the watchful eye of the United Nations Organization for Peace,