Evening star., 1943-04-11
y. S. Postwar Policy Uplifting,
But Lacking in Practical Details
Associates in War, However, Approach Future
in Realistic Manner Looking Toward
Making Over of Europe
By Constantine Bro,vn

OF Lne world, receive complaints from
legislators and high officials that the for
eign policy of the United States is still
question mark, they answer with i'm
patience that our policy is as clear as a
mountain brook on sunny summer day.
From the practical point of view our
policy may be difficult to gauge because,
like all theoretical matters, it is not
tangible and sometime is difficult to
grasp. 1t can, however, be summed up
in one word-"uplifting."
The policy-framers in Washington
want better world free of all those un-
pleasant matters that make life so COM
plicated and frequently unpleasant The
cardinal point of our foreign policy is no
longer the Atlantic Charter which. be-
cause OF the strategic and political ne
cessltles of our associates, makes it a
mere directive finder
The word uplifting" must not be
taken lightly or scornfully as it is taken
by SO many realists in Washington. It
embodies the political philosophy of the
men who surround President Roosevelt
and is intended to influence the policies
of our Allies, and, in the distant future,
the policies of our present enemies to-
ward better and happier world.
For the time being, however, we are
still dealing with realistic associates who,
while accepting enthusiastically the prin-
ciples embodied in the four freedoms, be-
lieve that they should be applied after
the geographical and political map of
Europe has been made over. AS far as
the Pacific is concerned, the situation
is still nebulous and more concrete
thought will be given by them after the
main operation-the crushing defeat of
the Nazis-has been completed.
Shower Of Resolutions.
Unfortunately the four freedoms do
not provide our legislat tors and strategists
with sufficient concrete background to
handle the manifold problems with which
they are confronted.
In recent weeks a shower of resolu-
tions has been submitted to the Senate
Foreign Relation Committee seeking to
set up definite foreign policy for the
United States. The resolutions were sug-
gested by friends and foes of the admin
istration.
None OF the authors had in mind the
partisan objective of creating new diff
flculties for the present administration
Their object was to avoid for the man
who will be President when Hitler is de-
feated the same difficulties ard pitfalls
which confronted President Wilson.
e ~.
For instance, the Chinese who have a
strong claim that their views should be
taken into consideration after the war is
over, want to know now what will hap
pen to those portions of China which
are British but which are now in Jap
anese hands. They want to know whether
Britain will insist on maintaining its
sovereignty over Hongkong and Burma
and they desire to learn what definite
policy the British government will follow
in connection with India which Gen.
eralissimo Chang Kai-shek believes
ought to become a free country.
The Poles, also our war associates,
want definite assurance that their coun-
try will emerge from the war intact and
possibly increased at the expense of Ger
many. So do the Yugoslavs, who have
an eye on certain Hungarian and
Italian territories. On the other hand
the Russians have very definite views
about the future borders Of postwar Eu-
rope. So have the British to a certain
extent.
Could State Principles.
Besides these purely geographic and
stategic questions there are questions
relating to postwar commerce and COM
munications which may greatly affect
our own postwar well-being. While it
is not possible to "legislate'' future
peace conference. it would be possible to
draft resolution containing the funda-
mental principles of the world as the
United States sees it. The many resolu-
tions introduced recently in Congress
indicate that such thing is possible.
When the avalanche of resolutions
was introduced in the Senate, it was
realized that If each of them was pre-
sented for debate the discussions might
become so acrimonious and so many un-
some of our Allied Nations might be un-
pleasantly affected.
So Chairman Connally decided to sub
init them all to- a large subcommittee.
1t was his hope that in the secrecy of
the executive sessions of the subcom-
mittee the unpleasant thoughts of some
of the legislators might come to the
surface and be disposed of without
further trouble.
Senator Cornally knew that the men,
bers of his committee wanted to do
something constructive and might bring
out some legislation out of the hodge
podge submitted to them The subcom-
mittee, which is now at work, is COM
posed of Democrats and Republicans
friendly, Indifferent or hostile to the ad-
ministration.
Yet they are working in complete har-
mony. But they hit a snag the very first
time they met when one member raised
a simple question: What is our foreign
policy? Who can give us the necessary
practical directives to formulate a reso-
luton which shall be not merely the
embodiment of pious wishes?"
It seems that none of the members
present could answer the question. They
all knew about the principles of the At
lantic Charter. But there was nothing
for the practical legislators to bite into
without reporting a resolution which
might create confusion and resentment
among our Allies. We have not yet won
the war. Hence, dissentions among
those who are trying to defeat Hitler
might have an adverse effect on the