Evening star., 1944-12-11

like stand which reveals to the world
that the United States has at last,
q clearly defined policy toward the
liberated" countries and is not
trailing along behind the British in
conflict with the Atlantic Charter.
And 1t is equally absurd to assert
that Mr.. Stettinius has made an
egregious blunder well calculated to
disturb the harmony of Anglo
American relations, unjustified
either by the facts or our own rec
ord, and altogether unnecessarily
self-righteous and inconsistent.
Without discussing the merits of
either of these schools of thought
Mr.. Stettinius certainly ought to be
put In the clear by both. 1t ism
fair either to grease him or kick
him. Actually, he had little to do
with the statement except issue it.
Not Stettinius' Own.
No informed person thinks that
Immediately upon his succession to
the Secretaryship, Mr.. Stettinius
thought up this bold and fortnight
move and On his own responsibility
made public an official attitude sure
to have disunifying effect upon
the two Western Allies, whose joint
action in peace, as in war, is so
clearly vital. Mr.. Stettinius is
neither experienced nor inexperi-
enced enough to have taken such
action on his own initiative.
The truth seems to be that the
statement was conceived in the de-
partment, though not by Mr.. Stet-
tinius. The idea of disassociating
ourselves from the British policy of
intervention in Italy and taking a
stand in conformity with the tradi-
tion American position of self-de-
termination was transmitted to the
President, presumably through Mr..
Hopkins.
Mr.. Roosevelt, it is known, not
only eagerly seized upon the sug-
gestion but expanded it into the
Stettinius statement, going a con-
siderable distance farther than had
been suggested.
In brief, the policy as thus de-
clared is Mr.. Roosevelt's policy and
no one elses. He chose to promul-
gate 1t through his Secretary Of
State, but upon him rests the full
responsibility and to him should be
given both the praise and the blame.
Unquestionably, 1t is a popular pol
icy in this country. Also, it is popu-
1ar ~, tho Caroto u,I, ara the ,taao oo~
type of statesman is always ready
to do little British batting
However, minded men will
concede that the British case was
strongly put by Mr.. Churchill. The
House Of Commons testified to that
by the overwhelming vote with
which it sustained him. The Man.
chester Guardian, while accusing the
Prime Minister of blundering, in
sists there Is no fundamental differ
ence in the policies of the two coun-
tries and points out the not very
consistent or successful American
diplomacy in Spain, France and
Italy, too.
Excitement Unfounded.
The British Ambassador, after
conferring with Mr.. Stettinius, de-
clared an understanding had
been achieved and that there is no
cause for excitement. Lord Hall
fax, a wise and deeply experienced
man, is probably correct, but that
does not prevent others asking why,
If our hearts beat so warmly for
the Atlantic Charter principle Of
nonintervention in Italy and
Greece, we fail to throb with equal
warmth for tortured Poland; why
we have not "rebuked" Russia with
the same kind of tartness with
which we now rebuke the British.
Probably this split" with the
British will not be allowed to widen.
1t may be wholly healed long be-
fore the next Roosevelt, Churchill,
Stain conference is held. At any
rate, while it is easy to understand
that the British think our state
ment was badly timed and smugly
worded, there does not seem much
sense in the Guardian holding Mr..
Stettinius personally responsible.
1t editorially asks why Mr.. Stet-
tinius found "the housetops prefer
able to friendly remonstrance be-
tween Allies" 1t says that his state
ment was intended to indicate that
the firm is under new management
and that the Darlan- -Giraud- -Bodo-
Clio subsidies have been dropped"