Evening star., 1946-09-18

ported that the Soviet leaders are
"isolationists" and appear to be
lacking a true insight into the
principles. motives and ways Of
thinking in other nations. We must
admit. however, that they pointed
out the symptoms and the way 10
prevent World War II in their pro-
motion Of the concept Of collective
security. And aside from that, it
seems to me We should try to do
something constructive about their
isolationism and ignorance, and I
believe the aforementioned trade
mission could accomplish much in
that direction. I gather, too. that
is part Of what you have had in
mind in inviting Premier Stain to
visit America.
Many of the problems relating
to the countries bordering on Rus
sia could more readily be solved
once an atmosphere of mutual trust
and confidence is established and
some form of economic arrange
ments are worked out with Russia.
These problems also might be help
ed by discussions of an economic
nature. Russian economic penetra-
ton Of the Danube area, for ex-
ample. might be countered by con-
crete proposals for economic col
laboration in the development of
the resources OF this area. rather
than by insisting that the Russians
hni Ia
tration and offering no solution to
the present economic chaos there.
SUMMARY.
This proposal admittedly calls
for shift in some OF our think
ing about international matters. 1t
is imperative that We make this
shift. We have little time to lose.
Our postwar actions have not yet
been adjusted to the lessons to be
gained from experience of Allied
cooperation during the war and
the facts of the atomic age.
1t is certainly desirable that, as
far as possible, We achieve unity on
the home front with respect to our
international relations; but unity
on the basis Of building up conflict
abroad would prove to be not only
unsound, but disastrous I think
there is some reason to fear that in
our earnest efforts to achieve BIZ
partisan unity in this country we
may have given way too much to
lsolationlSm maSquerading as tough
realism in international affairs.
The real test lies in the achieve
ment of international unity. 1t will
be fruitless to continue to seek solu-
tions for the many specific problems
that face us in the making of the
peace and in the establishment Of
an enduring international order
without first achieving an atmos-
phere of mutual trust and conf
dence. The task admittedly Is not
an easy one. There is no question,
as the Secretary of State has indi-
Gated, that negotiations with the
Russians are difficult because of cul-
tural differences, their traditional
isolationism and their insistence on
a visible quid pro quo in all agree
ments. But the task is not an in
superable one if we take into account
that to other nations our foreign
policy consists not only of the prin-
ciples that we advocate, but Of the
actions we take.
Fundamentally, this comes down
to the point discussed earlier in
this letter, that even our own Sc
curity, in the sense that we have
known it in the past, cannot be pre-
served by military means in a world
armed with atomic weapons. The
only type of security which can be
maintained by our own military
force is the type described by
military man before the Senate
Atomic Energy Committee-a secur-
ity against invasion after all our
cities and perhaps 40 million of our
city population have been de-
stroyed by atomic weapons. That
is the best that security" on the
basis of armaments has to offer us.
1t is not the kind of security that
our people and the people of the
other United Nations are striving
for.
think that progressive leader
ship along the lines suggested above
would represent and best serve the
interests of the large majority of
our people, would reassert the for
ward looking position of the Dem
ocratic party in international af-
fairs, and, finally. would arrest the
new trend toward isolationism and
disastrous atomic world war.