Evening star., 1945-06-12
Communism Declared
No Busis for Friction

NV NOSIS IVu IlISllOII
Nation Has Right to Own Kind
of Government, Says Writer
BY Dapid Laurence
Relations between the United States
and Russia do not necessarily depend
on whether Communism is or is not
desirable philosophy Of government In
the world. As long rs Russia does not
seek to impose on Us her form of gov
ernment there will be no basis for fric-
ton on that score.
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, In her
syndicated column, which Is copyrighted
by the New York World Telegram, has
written paragraph which accurately
expresses the present viewpoint of the
Government Of the United States. It Is
the same under the Truman administra-
tion as 1t was under the preceding ad-
ministration. Because Mrs. Roosevelt
expresses 1t so clearly and because it Is
the way our Government would doubt
less express 1t officially today, the para.
6AdPii 40 IcNOQuCeQ mere.
I'VE, in this country, feel that any
nation has 4 right within its own bor-
ders to the kind of government it feels
best meets the needs of the people. It
Is only when those beliefs begin to
encroach on other nations and on other
people. and to endanger their free be-
hefs and actions by attempting to
propagandize them, either openly or
secretly, that fear Is awakened. The
next step, we have learned through the
rise of Fascism, is to try by force to
push upon the rest of the world the
beliefs which your particular nation
holds. That is what we, including the
Soviet Union, have had to fight, and
the war has been a long, cruel war"
What Frightens Us.
Mrs. Roosevelt went on to say that
1t frightens us to see any group in our
midst proposing to .propagandize, and
that the French Communists and the
American Communists who encourage
q policy of world revolution have done
the peace of the world harm"
der, Of course, whether the policy out
lined above does not in effect say that
Fascism as form of government is
unobjectionable. But 1t would be
argued in reply that "Fascism" is asso-
ciated with cruelties and totalitarian
abuses and has long since ceased to be
known in the world as form of gov
ernment, but only as a form of vicious
tyranny in which the individual is COM
pletely at the mercy of his government.
The principle of noninterference In
the affairs of another country, however.
would cease to apply If Communism or
Fascism or any other form of govern
ment resulted in such arbitrary acts Of
a national government as had external
effects.
Thus, If Communistic government
felt that it had the right not only to
supply funds directly or indirectly 10
propagandize in another country 20 as
revolutionary movement to overthrow
such = government. this would be con-
strued not as 4 manifestation f 4
Communistic government but rs the
unfnendly action OF one government
toward another irrespective of the mer-
its Of its particular economic Or social
philosophy. One governments internal
policy may lead to war A. an external
policy as Hitler's experiences proved.
Chsrchfus Stand.
The whole subject was treated b.
Prime Minister Churchill In 4 pubiie
address when Russia entered the war
against Germany. He declared that he
did not retract one iota of what he had
previously said and felt about Com
munism. but that he nevertheless vel
coined Russian cooperation IN the war.
The same thing can be said now about
the peace. Communism Is not regard
ed by the vast majority Of the Amer
lean people as q desirable form OF GOV
eminent for Us or for our neighbors but
this has nothing to do with the right Of
the Russian government to maintain
Communistic forms In governing the
Russian people
The big question mark Is rs to the
propagandizing OF countries near Rus
sia by the Communists With America
demonstrating that 1t is possible for q
democratic country to be on friendly
terms with 4 Communist country. 1t
would seem that the example could be
followed in Europe.
Another way Of stating the American
concept is to declare that the United
States does not think it Is necessary
for the security OF Russia for her to
impose Communism upon any of her
neighbors and subject them to Moscow
influence and that in the long run
peace will be better constructed If each
nation figures out for itself what form
Of Government and what social or eco
nomic philosophy it cares to utilize In
its own domain.
Reproduction Rights Reserved)
Frunce Is Grateful
From the Montreal lie Canada.