The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-11-12
TODAY and TOMORROW
by WALTER LIPPMANN

ana Mr.. Truman will have the
time to examine the problem pro-
foundly. They will do well if in
their conversations they 60 deep.
~ enough into it to have made
each other aware, before they
separate, that this is the problem
OF Anglo-American relations. It is
not the problem of the United
States and the British Common
wealth; there is no fundamental
problem in our relations with the
United Kingdom, Canada, Austria.
Liza, New Zealand and South Africa.
In peace and in war we are bound
to be partners and allies. The
problem is in the relations of the
United States to the British EN-.
pire and to the spheres of influence
and interest-for example the
Ba1kans-within which the empire
as such is defended and main
tanned.
We certainly do not now know
how to solve this problem, and
there is little reason to think that
the British now know how to solve
it.
The problem is peculiarly diff
ficult because Great Britain is no
longer strong enough to exercise
her political authority without our
support, and we are not now
equipped to share her authority.
We are not equipped in the obvi-
Gus sense that we simply do not
yet have enough diplomats who
can form Independent and objec-
tive judgments in these disputed
regions, which are so remote from
our traditional interests. But
there is deeper sense in which
we are not equipped to collaborate
on equal terms with the British. 1t
is that their diplomats and po-
litical agents on the top have inn
mediate administrative RESPONSE
bility for what goes on in-say
Greece, Syria, Palestine-and very
often, indeed oftener than not,
what we call British policy con-
sists in London having no choice
but to back up, as we have to back
up General Wedemeyer in China,
what has already been made an
accomplished fact thousands OF
miles from London. 80
It is evident that the United
States cannot be content just to
back up London because London
has no choice but to back up its
diplomatic agents.
am well. aware that to expound
the difficulty, as Americans see it,
is not to solve it.. But it is much
better than to pretend it does not
exist, and thus to mislead our
selves and every one. else. Not ev-
cry problem can be solved when it
first arises. There are problems
which are not ripe for solution, and
this is almost certainly one Of
them. To know that much is to
know something more than not to
know anything at all.
Since the death Of President
Roosevelt, and to a considerable
extent in the last year when his
health was failing so rapidly, the
world has paid heavy price for
the fact that British and Amer
can statesmen have taken such a
superficial view of the terms and
conditions under which they can
couaborate in world affairs.
For it was superficial to gloss
over the basic fact that Great
Britain is over-extended in rela
ton to her power and that this
deficiency cannot be remedied by
an infusion of American power.
Neither in dealing with the Rus.
slams nor with the great masses
of the dependent people of south
ern Asia has that been a workable
formula. It causes the British to
assume a support that will not in
fact be given. It causes us to
NEEDLE in matters of which we
USE 4 e e