Evening star., 1946-09-15
America and the Near Eust


for special attention in Secretary
Wallace's recent speech on foreign
policy is that having to do with the
Near and Middle East.
Although anything but an isola-
ZIONIST in the past, Mr.. Wallace, by
implication at least, has now come
forward with the proposal that we
give the Russians a kind of green
light in that part of the world by
reassuring them that "our primary
objective is neither saving the Brit
ish Empire nor purchasing oil in the
Near East with the lives of American
soldiers"
How reminiscent this is of the kind
OF reckless and cheap isolationist
talk-"Why die for Danzig?" why
die for dear old Dong Dang?"-that
Mr.. Wallace himself inveighed
against in the days before the Sec
ond World War! But, since con-
sistency is said to be the hobgoblin
of little minds, his intellectual flip
flop in this instance may perhaps be
ignored as thing of minor conse-
Quence. What cannot be ignored,
however, is the fact that he has
spread the impression that the
United States has no vital interest
in what happens in the Near and
Middle East.
Nothing could be more purblind
than such thesis. In our shrunken
world-a world in which distances
have come to mean little in terms of
national security-the Near East and
the Middle East are of tremendous
significance, not simply because they
encompass vast riches in oil and en-
brace the lifelines of Britain, but
also-and more Importantly from
our American vieWpoint-because
they involve the safety of our own
land sea and air communications in
what is economically and Strate-
gically one of the most crucial re-
gions of the globe. That is why we
have acted in the United Nations
Security Council against Russian ef-
forts to move in on Iran. That is
why we have sent a note to Moscow
rejecting MoscoW's proposal to un-
dermine Turkish sovereignty by es-
tablishing Soviet bases in the Dar-
danelles. That is why we have been
watching with the greatest interest
and concern all moves tending to
confirm the suspicion that the
Stain government would like to take
over this area, piece by piece, until 1t
could dominate the whole of it and
thus create far-reaching new bal
ance of power in the world.
Our policy In this sense, despite
Mr.. Wallace's insinuation, has most
certainly not been aimed at saving
the British Empire or purchasing
oil in the Near East with the lives of
American soldiers" Nor has it been
aimed at maintaining the status quo.
1t has been aimed solely and simply
at protecting our own vital inter-
ests and at preserving peace there
through international cooperation
and through improvement of the
living standards of the regions
people.
In short, authoritatively stated,
the United States is committed to
participate in the affairs of that part
of the world on this altogether sound
principle: mo country, great or
small, has legitimate interests in the
Near and Middle East which cannot
be reconciled with the interests of
other nations through the United
Nations. The United Nations have
right to insist that the sovereignty
of the countries of the Near and
Middle East must not be threatened
by coercion or penetration"
The words were spoken last April
by President Truman in his excel
lent Army Day address at Chicago.