Evening star., 1946-03-22

souri,.
His basic sug-
gestion Of a
closer "fraternal Frank r. Kent.
association" between the United
States and the British Empire as the
surest way to strengthen UNO and
insure peace aroused a storm Of pro-
test. His plan was assailed with
great violence by Mr.. Stain and the
controlled Russian press.
Almost equally violent was the at
tack from the American Commu-
nists, the CIO labor leaders, the CIO
Senators, such as Claude Pepper of
Florida, and from the extreme left
wingers, of whom Henry Wallace
was the most conspicuous. Horrid
pictures of Mr.. Churchill as war
monger" came from these. Absurd
ly, they imputed to him desire to
"scuttle" the United Nations Or
ganization.
Conservatives Concede Logic.
conservatives, too, shrank from
the eandor and boldness of the idea,
though conceding the logic of close
cooperation between the English
speaking nations whose objectives
are identical and whose people have
SO much in common.
In fact, clear-cut Endorsements of
Mr.. Churchill's suggestion, in either
Journalistic or political circles,
were few and far between. Though
Mr.. Truman introduced him at
Fulton and must have known what
he intended to say, our State De-
partment pointedly disassociated
itself from his proposal.
Some observers, while urging q
"frmer tone" with Russia, curiously
insisted upon regarding the Church.
Ill plan as a personal quarrel be-
tween Mr.. Churchill and Stain,
with which we have no concern.
But even some of those who de-
clared that Mr.. Churchill was talk
ing drivel advocated a firm policy"
on Trap and other issues, without,
however, the cloudiest notion as to
how firmness was to be made effec-
tive. Notwithstanding the lack of
any wholehearted support from any
important quarter, the fact is that
Mr.. Churchill already has achieved
certain success for his idea.
Small Triumph Noted.
For example, one of the most
eminent of his critics, after assert
ing that the American people want
no such alliance and denouncing the
plan as sure to involve us in British
imperialism and colonial policy, fol-
lowed by declaring that if the Rus
slams persist in aggressive obstruc-
ton and bargain breaking, the
American people would have no
choice save to take the Churchill
plan.
That sort of admission from one
of his foremost critics seems no small |
trilsmph for Mr.. Churchill.
The truth is that, despite attack, |
the closer "fraternal association"
idea found favorable lodgment in
the minds of a great many who
had not really thought Of it before.
To large number of citizens,
anxious for peace through interna-
tional corporation, who had been
asking themselves what we were to
do If Russia continues her aggres-
sions and refuses cooperation, Mr..
Churchill's plan seemed concrete,
sensible and practical.
Also, 1t seemed the only plan.
No one had anything else to suggest |
except further efforts "to under
stand the Russians" and induce
them to be friendly So little sue
cess has been had along that line
as to be pretty discouraging.
AS eager as any one for Russian |
friendship and cooperation and as
ardent as any one to avert war, MI.
Churchill left in this country one
profound and pregnant thought ex-
pressed in these words: IF 1t is
clear we are unprepared for and
unwilling to fight a righteous wal,
then an unrighteous war becomes
inevitable" To this he added that
II we are prepared and willing to
tight the righteous war we will not
have to fight at all
Limit to Cancellation.
It Is difficult to see how the truth
Of this can be challenged. In effect.
1t means that while we must 60 to
extremes in the effort to conciliate
and understand, there is-and must
be-some time, somewhere limit
beyond which we cannot in self
respect or for our safety and that
OF the world, 60.
We must clearly set that limit
and we must not be bluff1ng when
We do 1t. We must then be pre-
pared, II the warning is not needed,
to embark again upon a righteous
war in full knowledge that any
further palliation will insure the
unrighteous war.
The surest way in which we can
be prepared for the righteous war
is through that closer "fraternal as
sociation" with the British which 80
many OF us now reject but which
Mr.. Churchill believes is bound to
come anyhow.
Mr.. Stain does not want that.
He obviously wants to prevent that.
The farther apart the British and
Americans can be kept the better
for him. Accordingly, there is a.
strong belief that at the meeting Of
the Security Council the Russians
a. 40 ~