"The world organization debates disarmament in one room and, in the next room, moves the knights and pawns that make national arms imperative"

This quote by E. B. White is a commentary on the hypocrisy of international politics. On one hand, the world company is disputing disarmament, which indicates a desire for peace and security. On the other hand, the exact same company is making choices that make nationwide arms necessary. This suggests that the company is not genuinely dedicated to disarmament, however is instead utilizing it as a facade to keep the status quo. The chess metaphor of knights and pawns is a powerful one, as it suggests that the company is playing a video game of power and control, with nations as the pieces. The quote suggests that the organization is not genuinely thinking about peace, however is rather utilizing the rhetoric of disarmament to keep the power characteristics of the worldwide system.