Evening star., 1944-06-25
Mr.. Wallace and Asio

Mr.. Wallace and Asia
Prime Minister Churchill, who in
1912 declared that he did not pro-
pose to preside over the liquidation
of the British Empire" probably will
read with interest what Vice Presi-
dent Wallace has to say in a PAM
phlet just published by the Ameri-
can Council of the Institute of
Pacific Relations. So, too, will the
Netherlands government, which has
a vital stake in the future of the
Dutch East Indies.
Mr.. Wallace's view is that the
United States will be so important
in the postwar Pacif1c-Asiatic world
that we must, because of our own
political, economic and strategical
interests, assume the obligations
that our new position entails" The
Japanese, he says, have shattered
the old imperial colonial pattern
and we have to decide whether to
aid in restoring that pattern or to
aid in creating a new one. His own
choice has been made: He believes
that there must be positive Ameri-
can policy aimed at raising the
standard of living of the subject"
or colonial areas and of putting
them on an independent, self-gov-
erning basis as soon as they are
capable Of ruling themselves.
In other words, Mr.. Wallace
favors the idea of having the United
States follow an active program to
influence Britain, the Netherlands
government and other powers con-
cerned to take special steps to grant
full freedom to india, the Dutch
East Indies, Burma, Malaga, Indo-
China and a great many small Pa
ciflc islands" AS in the case of our
policy toward the Philippines, more
over, he would have definite dates
set for the proclamation of the in
dependence of these places.
To the extent that such a program
would promote stability and better
times In Asia, and thus serve the
well-being of the world at large,
there can be little or no objection
to it from any quarter. Mr.. Wallace,
however, takes what appears to be a
dig at Mr.. Churchill by declaring,
that although "it is certainly not
our mission to write declarations of
independence for the colonies of
other powers" neither "is it our mis-
sion to underwrite other peoples
declarations of continuing empire"
This has all the earmarks of a biting
reference to what the British Prime
Minister said in 1912, and as such
it seems both ill-timed and unwar-
ranted.
Beyond that, it may be said of Mr..
Wallace's pamphlet that although
its broad basic thesis is sound enough,
it is weak and oversimplif1ed when
it comes to details. It declares, for
instance, that some of the subject"
areas are already capable of ruling
themselves if freedom were only
granted to them, but it does not
specify the areas. Nor does it ex-
plain the many different meanings
of the word empire" Nor does
it mention the fact that Britain
has offered independence to India
through the Cripps plan. Nor does
it give any consideration to the
enormous complexities of the inter-
nal Indian situation. Nor does it
touch upon the thought that world
stability can be hurt if peaceful
empires" and commonwealth Of
nations are fragmented into a lot
OF unassociated separate powers.
Mr.. Wallace's many omissions in
this respect flow naturally from the
fact that he has sought to outline
the vast and tremendously complex
problem of Asia's future in AZ small
pages of large type. That simply
cannot be done-not without a seri-
Gus oversimplification and distortion
of the realities. In the circumstances.
other nations with Pacific and
Asiatic interests can rest assured
that the Vice President scarcely in
tended his pamphlet to be a defini-
tive statement of American policy.