Evening star., 1945-07-24
Trumun Words Held
InoppIicobIe to japan
Speech on Territory Confined to
Germany, Writer Suggests
By David Laurence

By David Laurence
When President Truman, speaking at
the raising OF the American flag in
Berlin, said the United States does not
want zone piece of territory out OF this
war" he started good deal of specut%-
ton in Washington as to the true slE-
nificance of that remark.
Immediately 1t was assumed by some
observers here that Mr.. Truman mace
a slip and that he had forgotten about
American desires for certain small is
lands in the Pacific but the President,
1t was promptly pointed out In rebuttal,
spoke OF this war" which meant, OF
course, the war whose termination he
was in sense symbolizing by the rails
ing Of the flag.
1t Is an undeniable fact that the
United States does not want one piece
OF territory out of the war with Ger
many Strictly speaking, Mr.. Truman
could not very well refer to the Japa-
nese war, because the occasion which
brings him to Berlin is the settlement
OF questions growing out of the war
against Germany.
Actually Russia, which Is joining with
the United States in the occupation of
Berlin, is still at peace with Japan. The
japanese Ambassador still maintains
relations with the government at Moscow
| and there Is Russian Ambassador at
| Tokyo.
| Cairo Declaration.
| The whole world has begun to assume
that Russia may enter the war but until
she does there is no statement that can
be made on the subject of territories
beyond what was revealed in the Cairo
Declaration. Under that declaration
Manchuria and Formosa were TO be
returned to China and Korea was TO be
given her independence in due course.
The United States has not sought a
single piece of territory as an annexa-
tion or for economic possession. The
only requests that have been made
have been for complete military con-
troll and, If necessary, sovereignty over
total area about 80 miles square,
where air bases can be maintained. It
may be that Mr.. Truman intends some
day to arrange for a 99-year lease of
the islands from the United Nations in
connection with the trusteeship plan.
The late President Roosevelt felt it was
highly important that in seeking de-
fense bases America should not be in
the position of grabbing territory.
Back in the mind of Mr.. Roosevelt
was the thought that if the United
States refrained from taking any terri
tory, however small. it would have a
restraining effect on other powers
Russia, however, was not readily in
nuenced by our self-restraint and in
sisted that for defense reasons she
needed slice Of Poland. American
military men feel that the island bases
IN the Pacific are even more important
to the defense Of the United States.
Possibility of Emphasis.
The chances are Mr.. Truman made
MS remark about the American desire
to avoid annexation of any territory in
order to emphasize in his discussions
with Generalissimo Stain that the
American people are averse to fighting
wars which mean in the end merely A
shift OF territory from conquered to
conqneror 1t is quite possible that Mr..
Truman may have been approached by
Mr. Stain on the subject of a modifica-
ton OF the Cairo Declaration so as to
give Russia a piece of Manchuria or,
II that were not practicable, then stra-
| tegic control Of Port Arthur and the
railroad leading therefrom into Siberia,
| Some plan to give Russia q warm
water port on the Pacific without SEEM
ing to involve large annexations Of
territory may have been discussed at
Potsdam as factor in Russia's en-
trance into the Japanese war.
Mr.. Truman may have been twitted
ABOUT our desire for the Pacific islands
and may have made the speech at Ber-
lin as means of reiterating the Ameri-
can position, which, despite all the dis
cussion which has been going on about
IT, really means only desire for mill
tary and strategic control of certain
bases for defense. If that can be ac-
compllshed without annexation but
unoer lease arrangement or its EQUIV.
aient, or system which does not inter-
1ere with complete military usage for
our defense, such plan may be sc-
cepted.
The American desire is not to secure
economic resources or areas where
populations can be exploited but a few
barren spots where airplanes can be
landed and personnel maintained tn
service the planes and ships.
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