The midland journal., 1944-12-29

Freedom from
outside interference can hardly be
limited to Italy and Greece but must
be championed also for Poland, Ro-
mania, Yugoslavia, even Spain.
If we do not apply this policy
with equal righteousness against
Russian interference, the policy
will simply open the way for the
Communists to get control of all
Europe. Through it, we would
then be backing Russia by stop
ping Britain.
So far, frankly, we have not ap-
plied it outspokenly or equally. We
have been hesitant about Poland,
wholly unconcerned about Romania,
cooperative with Russia's exclusive
ly dominating Tito in Yugoslavia,
although we have kept on our fence
in Spain.
1t is commentatively necessary to
avoid overinterpretation of current
events. For another instance of this
same point, the coming of the new
troupe into the state department has
been interpreted by senate liberals
(if you can call the always New
Dealing Senator Guffey a liberaD as
the advent of the rich to control of
foreign affairs.
Without looking below the surface,
1t is plain enough to see that State
Secretary Stettinius has money, al
though probably not as much as In
terror Secretary Ickes has; that Will
Clayton is the worlds largest cotton
broker, that young Rockefeller, the
grandson of the fabulous fortune,
can match millions with anyone,
even labor unions.
Mr.. Grew has the reputation of be-
ing Americas best diplomat, rep
utation not thoroughly proved by his
record as ambassador to Tokyo.
Although he can today point
back to some places in his dis
patches where he warned
authorities here Of a sneak Jap
attack, he cannot be said to
have warned them successful
ly, and the policy toward Japan
we pursued during his ambassa.
dorshiD can today hardly be
called successful.
However, Grew was not much op-
posed in the senate. The opposition
there did not base its criticism on
the ground of talent, or lack of it,
but largely on the riches Of Mr..
Stettinius' choice of Clayton and
Rockefeller, and the poetic aura sur
rounding one Archibald MacLeish,
who is to be in charge Of publicity
and cultural relations (the justifica-
ton for this appointment apparently
being that he did not get the books
in the Library Of Congress mixed up
as he did the war propaganda and
home defense at the outset of the
war).
TO ABSORB SHOCK
I suspect Mr.. MacLeish is just GO
ing in POLITICALLY to take the curse
Of riches off the department and to
handle culturally the restless liberal
press, until it gets over the shock.
But the very first act of this new
regime of riches in the state depart
ment was to poke Britain and issue
proclamation which favored the
Russian position.
If this is not enough to convince
you that most Of the interpretations
you are hearing these days are un-
thoughtful, I can furnish others.
Stettinius, Clayton and Rockefeller
are internationalists, a point which
the liberals offered as the only true
measure Of liberalism in the last
election. Furthermore, eastern
riches and cotton brokers are al
ways international. What in the
world do the liberals think they
want, or do they think? I would
Just as soon believe the conserva-
tives' suspicion that Mr.. r. let Stet-
tinius take these men into the de-
partment with him, expecting they
|, would fail. as the one Gufey is cir
culating.
The problem Of a just division Of
power between Democratic capital
lists Of varying hues and Communist
radicals Of varying hues in world
governments, probably cannot be
solved permanently. There will be
more revolutions.
But there Is ground Of self-de-
termination Of peoples upon which
we can safely stand, and it will be
Just if we apply its restrictions
upon Russia as well as Britain, and
defend that position to get free
franchises no matter what the re-
suit. The politics Of this war are not
clear cut.