Evening star., 1942-12-20

Inc vague phrase some sort OF post
war organization" must necessarily be
written at this time because no detailed
blueprint has even been suggested by the
responsible officials of the major powers.
For those in an honest quandary about
the implications of internationalism and
isolationism, the Brookings Institution
has published a timely 107-page text
book titled Peace Plans and American
Choices" written by Arthur C. Mills
paugh, distinguished political scientist
with wide practical experience in gov
ernmental work here and abroad
Although public opinion, particularly
American, will have the ultimate word
on the form and power of this organiza-
ton, a recent survey by Office of Public
Opinion Research of Princeton estimated
that the implications of postwar Coop
Grafton were understood only by third
of the population; that another third
paid lip service to the ideal of interna-
tional cooperation, saying the United
States should join league of nations
having police power. and that a final
third was opposed to any involvement
of this kind whatever.
The American Council of the Institute
OF Public Relations, in its current Far
Eastern Survey had this comment on the
Princeton conclusions:
There is grave danger that the third
Of the population paying lip service to
internationalism will about face when it
sees that postwar cooperation means
responsibility and sacrifice and when the
isolationists, after the war, let 60 with
their heavy artillery. 1t is greatly to be
feared that the American people do not
realize the implications of their decision
to attain security through international
organization; that they conceive of COL
lective security largely in terms of a
police force, principally American, keep
ing the peace abroad but without any
restraint upon our freedom of action;
that the conception of collective security
according to which the United States
would surrender its own dominance, free
dom of action and possibility of inde-
has simply not penetrated deeply into
American thinking.
The recent meeting of the Republican
National Committee in ST. Louis gave
emphasis to the Pacific Institutes OBJ
servation that pressnt-day "isolationists"
control large segment of voters.
The Brookings book, in terms high
school student can understand, is a
veritable debaters handbook 1t states
the arguments for and against American
participation in an international organ
ization more succinctly and completely
than most proponents and opponents of
such cooperation can organize their
thoughts.
Mr.. Millspaugh refuses to consider two
extremes-absolute isolation or world
government-as too impracticable for
serious attention. He notes that no one
has ever proposed that the United States
build Chinese wall around itself, and
that only miracle could make the age
old dream of world-state or world
federation realizable at the end of the
present war.
Between these extremes Mr.. Mills
paugh analyzes u proposals which have
advocates in this country, ranging from
american leadership to an association
of world powers stronger than the
League of Nations"
The pros and cons Of each plan are
80 convincingly stated that Millspaugh
fears that the casual reader might be
converted by the arguments for par
ticular plan only to change his views
after reading the negative side and, in
this reason he cautions the serious
reader to remember that with so many
different proposals under discussion the
advocates of one proposal have against
them practically all who favor any other
proposal. Plan No /, in order to win
the debate, he writes, must overthrow
q number Of other plans; each is in a
free-for-all and therefore, fighting
against odds.
While he carefully avoids indorsing
any one plan he makes plain that a
choice involving risks must be made.
The democracies, he says, have learned
"that appeasement is not the way to
from inaction, not action. In the fu-
ture we shall know much better how
and when to act, and we shall prefer
collective action to being destroyed one
by one"
In presenting the dozen most widely
discussed plans, Millspaugh groups them
under natural headings The first is
America on It's Own," in which he re-
counts the advantages and disadvan-
tages Of American leadership" Amer
ican mastery" and American balancing
Of power"
The next step in international think
ing he calls hands across the seas"
dement's Of "a British American ALI
ance." an Anglo American federal
union." as envisioned by Clarence
STREET q union Of the democracies,"
and CLOSE cooperation Of the United
Nations"
For those who believe In geographical
regional Arrangements" - and their
number is large-he outlines the pros
and cons for spheres Of infiuence in
the Western Hemisphere, In Europe and
In Asia.
Then comes chapter Oh the mori-
bund League OF Nations, with the rea-
sons for its failure. the hopes of revivals
and arguments why the League is dead
for good and all. The next to the last
chapter is on stronger association of
nations" and the final chapter asks
whether there should be a cooling -off"
period, as proposed by our own State