Evening star., 1946-12-04


The criticism of him seems trivial
and his critics not wholly free from
prejudice.
Under the circumstances. 1t does
seem that the one thing to which
Mr.. Byrnes Is entitled and on which
success depends is the wfolehearted
support of q united country. To a
very large extent, Of course, he has
g exactly that. Our foreign policy Is
J q iionpartisan policy. The Republic
cans, in the main, have loyalty CO.
!, operated. In the main, too, SO has
the press. Yet the American posi-
ton has been enfeebled and Mr.,
Ryrnes and his colleagues handi-
capped by two things that never
should have happened.
Strikes Show Weakness.
One, of course, Is the coal stop
page. The long series Of more or
less Gripping strikes with which We
have been afflicted since the close
Of the war certainly have been no
help to Mr.. Byrnes. It is not easy
for the United States to assert world
leadership and command respect for
Its strength when it Is so remarkably
clear that 1t Is unable to manage its
own internal affairs with reasonable
intelligence. There have been many
evidences Of this In the past l8
months and 1t is beyond dispute
.Nnat they have weakened us in the
spreign field.
The climax was the coal strike.
This has produced the nearest
thing to q general strike this coun-
try has ever had. 1t endangers the
very existence OF industry and is q
concrete threat of chaos, which
plays directly into the hands of
those whose aim 1t is to overthrow
our form of Government. 1t not
only tears to pieces our domestic
economy but 1t makes it impossible
for us to carry out our commitments
abroad.
A more effective way of cutting
the ground from under our repre-
sentatives in the United Nations
could hardly be devised. But, while
that is Mr. Byrnes' most serious
handicap, it is not his only one,
There are Henry wallace and Elliott
Roosevelt. True, neither Of these
has much standing In the country.
What they say is not important. ex-
cept that ID can be used by those
who oppose US to argue that this
nation is badly divided on foreign
policy. This is not true. but 1t
hurts our cause that the facts can
be 90 distorted as to make it seem
true To anyone.
Encourages Radicals.
Dismissed from the Truman cab
inet, Mr.. Wallace is now engaged
In making a series OF speeches as
sailing the American foreign policy.
eulogizing Russia and disparaging
the United Nations. The line he
takes is very much like the line OF
the Daily Worker, and his utter
ances naturally arouse enthusiasm
among the radical groups in New
York. Even more extraordinary are
the remarks OF Elliott Roosevelt in
Moscow. In conversations there
IJllioLb WAS ACPO4 bC6 Ge tiAA&fct obAJ
contrasting the United States and
Great Britain with the Soviet Union,
and asserting that his own country
is supporting the United Nations
for purely selfish and imperialistic
reasons"
It Is true that since his refusal to
correct his admitted misrcpreserta-
tions concerning the American posi-
tion on the atornic bomb, as pointed
out by Bernard Baruch. Mr.. Wal
lsce's reputation as sincere though
mistaken man has greatly dimtrl-
ished. Nevertheless, his prominence
as former Vice President and
Cabinet member is sufficient to give
WIDE circulation to what he says.
Only One Course.
e. or Elliott Roosevelt. though he is
less important. it is more difficult to
speak with restraint. That this
hurpntiotIS uerS0n with his I'M