Evening star., 1945-07-22
Trumun on Peace

open to some question, it seems safe
to assume that President Truman
was merely stating a general prin-
ciple when he declared the other
day that there Is not one piece of
territory or one thing of a monetary
nature" that the United States
wants out of this war.
This is a reasonable assumption,
because the record makes clear that,
under his overall direction as Chief
Executive, American policy-at least
as far as territory is concerned
definitely embraces the idea of
holding on to war acquired stra-
tegic areas essential to the Nations
safety and to the discharge of it's
peace-preserving responsibilities in
the new world security organization.
The policy in respect to these
areas-such as former japanese
island outposts-was first shaped
during President RooSevelt's admin
istration, and it has since been de-
veloped in greater detail by the
Army and Navy working in concert
with the State Department and the
American delegation at the San
Francisco Conference. In all of this
Mr.. Truman has naturally played
an active and most important role
as the late Presidents successor, and
we may take it for granted, there
fore, that he is fully in favor of
retaining certain territories in
trusteeship form or otherwise.
In the circumstances, the Presi-
dent could hardly have meant his
extemporaneous statement to have
been taken as if it were not qualified
by an already existing policy. In
saying that we do not want zone
piece of territory or one thing of
monetary nature" he must surely
not have meant that this country
will give up every bit of ground it
has won in the war and will not
expect to make whatever gains and
profits it can in fair international
competition. 1t is far more likely
that he meant that we do not want
to acquire land for lands sake or to
follow greedy economic policies
abroad and resort to imperialistic
exploitation. What we are fighting
for, he said, is peace and prosperity
for the world as whole-a peace
that will endure, a peace that will
not blow up in our faces twenty or
thirty years from now, peace in
which men and nations everywhere
will have an opportunity to live
decently and without fearing each
other.
This is in keeping with the spirit
of the Atlantic Charter. More than
that, it is enlightened self-interest
as well. For if the world as whole
can be made to feel secure, then
America will be secure; If the world
as a whole can be made to prosper,
then America will prosper. There is
an inescapable interdependence
among nations in our modern age.
Peace is indivisible, prosperity is in
divisible, and so also are fear and
depression. This century, with its
two global wars, has taught that
lesson so clearly, so terribly, that
there can no longer be any argu-
ment about it.
At first glance the American war
objective, as set forth by the PreSi-
dent, may seem overidealistic or
overgenerous, but as basic prin-
ciple for the shaping of tomorrow's
world it is realism in the best
sense-an idea that is at once
simple and profound: international
peace, international prosperity-by
working together for these the fam
lily of nations will profit far more
than from separate policies of ag-
grandizement. If all the key pow
ers could agree to that now and in
the future, Eve could look forward"
as Mr.. Truman says, Ito the greatest
age in the history of mankind"