Evening star., 1946-09-14
A Strange Endorsement

A Strange Endorsement
1t is an astounding thing that
President Truman is on record as
having fully approved the foreign
policy speech delivered the other
night by Secretary of Commerce
Wallace. Equally astounding is the
fact that he is also on record as
having found 20 conflict between it
and the course that has been fol-
lowed up to now by Secretary of
State Byrnes.
To begin with Mr.. Wallace,s
speech inSinuated that both Mr..
Truman and Mr.. Byrnes have to date
been led around by their noses by
the British and have been more
or less duped into carrying out
policy made not in America but in
London. But this is not the only
reason why the Presidents indorse-
ment seems so extraordinary and so
uiIIlCulC W understand.
Actually-and this is what must
confuse not merely the American
people but other peoples and gov
ernmentS as well-the Endorsement
is doubly and trebly battling for the
simple and obvious reason that Mr..
Wallace's thesis at several points
runs directly counter to the foreign
policy affirmed and reaffirmed in
word and deed not by Mr.. Truman
and Mr.. Byrnes alone but also by the
late President Roosevelt and former
Secretary of State Cordell Hull.
This point is amply illustrated by
a look at the record. AS shown else
where in this newspaper, on page 3,
the names of Mr.. Hull, Mr.. Roosevelt,
Mr.. Truman and Mr.. Byrnes are all
associated with the idea that Amer
lean foreign policy must be aimed
at discouraging the establishment of
spheres of influence They are asso-
clated, too, with the idea that the
United States, having solemnly obli-
gated itself to do so at Yalta and
Potsdam, must participate in the
political reconstruction of Eastern
Europe. Further, Mr.. Truman as
recently as last April made clear the
depth of Americas interest in the
Near and Middle East-a vital in
tereSt recently demonstrated by our
highly important and historic note
to Moscow on Turkey and the Dar-
danelles. And over and above that
he has made clear, along with Mr..
Byrnes, that until there is general
international disarmament the Ma
ton must remain militarily strong
for its own sake and the sake Of
world peace.
But Mr.. Wallace's speech has set
forth blueprint under which such
things as these would happen: Cd
The United States would deliber-
ately promote the establishment of
spheres of influence; (2) our State
Department, despite Yalta and Pots
dam and all the firm notes it has
already written on the subject, would
consider the political affairs of East
ern Europe to be none of our busi-
ness; go we would reaSsure Russia
that "our primary objective is
neither saving the British Empire
nor purchasing oil in the Near East
with the lives of American soldiers"
apparently Mr.. Wallace believes
that our present policy vis-a-vis
London and places like Turkey and
Iran can be reduced to terms as
simple and as snide as that, and
a. we would take prompt action,
presumably ahead of other coun-
tries, to cut down our armed might
and hand over to the United Nations
the air bases with which the United
States and Britain have encircled
the world" (another snide oversim-
plification).
Mr. Wallace's speech is open to
attack on many grounds. 1t is dem
agogic regarding the Republican
party 1t is manifestly unfair to the
British. 1t criticizes the Russians
only oh-so- gently. 1t draws a dis
tinction between international eco
nomics and politics that is guileless
to the point of being absurd. 1t
speaks we'll of love and confidence,
trust and Joy" as good things for
mankind. but as blueprint for
peace, measured against present
realities. it is so muddled. so self
contradictory, so naively pretentious
and so much at variance with our
foreign policy to date that the Presi-
dents Endorsement of it Is beyond
understanding. To end the puzzle
ment that must now trouble not
merely Mr.. Byrnes and the American
people but all interested govern
ments abroad, Mr.. Truman cannot
do less than clarity this mystery
without delay.