The Wilmington morning star., 1943-10-02
STATE DEPARTMENT
is NOW IMPROVING
Continued From Page One)

dings announces that he has in
troduced his resolution with the
approval of President Roosevelt,
Secretary Hull and President Que
zon. But there is good reason for
thinking that his resolution is a
misunderstanding of the intention
of our government, and that it was
not drafted by American officials
nor approved by them before Sen
ator Tydings introduced it. The
misunderstanding undoubtedly is in
good faith. But what a way to
conduct foreign affairs it is to have
misunderstanding about mat
ter of such gravity.
For there is no Disgusting the
gravity of it. President Quezon is
in Washington. But his government
is in Manila, and this government
is collaborating with the Japanese
under Japanese constitution
which recognizes the sovereign in
dependence of the Philippines. Now
Senator Tydings proposes that we
follow the japanese initiative and
recognize that the Philippines are
already Independent before Gen
eral Macarthur RECEIVERS them. If
we do this, and the independent"
government in Manila says we
must not come back, or like the
independent governments in
Burma and Thailand. even de.
clares war against us, which is
far from unlikely, just where will
we be? Where will President Que
ION be? Where will our real
friends in the Philippines be if we
renounce them before they are lib
Grated from the japanese? And
what will we do if we find that
this independent government ex-
ercises its sovereign right to GUST
US entirely from the Far Pacific,
and not to play its part in the set
Element of the Pacific?
l submit that a proper State
Department would have been on
the job from the start, aware and
alert, and ready to lay down a
consistent policy on the Philippines
and then to control its applica-
ton. 1t would have seen to it
that Senator Tydings introduced
resolution which really express
es our purposes and our needs.
But the fact is that the department
did not do this. and that is why
we have stumbled into this mud
die.
What is the good of talking
about 'ideology." as if angry
articles in The Nation" and PM
were of cosmic significance, and
of creating a myth about the de-
partments being beset by ideolo-
gists, when what is wanting is
knowledge, judgment and wise con-
sideration of intensely practical
and the most vital American in
terests?
The conduct of foreign policy
REQUIRES something more than the
reiteration of generalities about
independence, sovereignty, inter-
national law. 1t calls for a firm.
practical and informed judgment
of how to deal with particular is
sues and events in accord with
an enlightened and civilized con-
pnD1IN,, of 4ho national 3Y,+O -
And that is what the State De-
partment is not yet organized and
manned TO do.
And it will never be organized
and manned to do it during this
war, and in time to make a settle
ment commensurate with our
needs and our sacrifices, if we en-
courage the conlplacent and dan
gerous view that because the de-
partment is unfairly criticized, it
does not really need to pay at
tention to serious criticism.
For these reasons the appoint
ment of Mr.. Stettinius is good if
it marks the beginning of a most
necessary regeneration and refor-
nation. The first problem is not
how to get harmony among bu-
reaucratic factions, though Sc
we're discipline is much needed.
The first problem is to improve
the department by recruitment and
promotion so as to bring to the
front and to the top, at the level
where policy is formed, more men
of greater eminence and surer
judgment of affairs.
-V-