The Wilmington morning star., 1947-12-29
Why Not Go Further?

II w nv lNOC JU Il I'll tlIOA
Il The paramount question IN most Amerl-
| can mind today - with regards to all TINS
| foreign aid movement - is it charity or IS
lit war?
/ The Marshall plan probably the big
| gest single piece of aid ever given foreign
| countries during peace time - was proposed
Hast spring. Congress was called into ses-
sion in November, but the people OF
this country were never told what the real
Treason was for requesting either stop-gap
lor long range foreign aid.
i To be sure, the administration empha-
sized the purpose of "aiding starving peo-
ple'' of Europe. However, that claim soon
Ifell through of its own weight, for 1t was
well known that there were great many
more people starving in the Far East than
lin all the countries of Europe The Ash
| atics were ignored in this humanitarian ap-
peal.
y Then they came little closer to the
truth with the claim that it was to aid
lin restoring the democracies OF Wes-
tern Europe" Here however, they were
hard put to it to answer the question as
Ito how adherence to democracy could be
bought with gifts.
Now, in the final analysis, with Secre-
|tary Marshalrs report on the Big Four
conference and with President Truman's
request that Congress authorize Sl7,0O0,-
100000 to aid the nations of Western Eu-
rope to withstand Russian "totalitarian
aggression" the atmosphere is cleared.
If the administration had the facts that
might have made this clear to the people
months ago, 1t is unfortunate that it did
not make them known; the American peo-
pie are not afraid to face facts.
Accepting the administrations state
ments at face value and the information
we are being given as correct, we now
know why this nation is being called on to
deplete still further it's material resources,
why the people are being called upon to
!. undergo still further initiation and a de
creased standard of living, why our econo-
my must be endangered to the breaking
point It is economic war with Russia.
There can be no other Interpretation
placed on Secretary MarshalPs report or
on the Presidents message to Congress.
Both of them place the complete blame
for the present state of affairs on Com
munist Russia. If it were not for the clear
lily evident aim of the Communists to over
throw the established governments of the
world and replace them with their own
type of government, then any such pro-
gram of sacrifice as is now presented to
the American people would not be neces-
Icor md off a
tons organization the world could soon get
: back on the road to peace and prosperity.
1t is clear now that the Communists are
not interested in a United Nations organi-
zation. 1t is also clear that Communists
are only interested in the spread of COM
munism and that there can be no compro-
mise between its totalitarian form of gov
ernment and the philosophy of Individual
freedom of which the United States has
/ been the worlds prime proponent and the
saviour during the World wars.
Now that the issue is joined, the peoples
OF this nation might well ask if the meas
, ures proposed are effective enough. In his
: message, the President for the first time
admits that the Marshall plan might not
t succeed. There being this recognized doubt
as to its effectiveness, why not 60 further?
t Why not this nation issue clear-c
statement that its fullest resources will be
used in whatever way necessary to prevent
5 communism being forced upon airy people
In any part of the world? Why not this
nation take a lead in making the United
Nations organization a militant effective
: organization, with or without Russiac Whv
l not both our major political parties oui,
S playing power politics in this matter and
unite in letting the world know that De-
t mocracy can be just as prepared just as
determined to survive as any other philos-
ophy the world has ever known?
We are being told that the future free
! o"m OF this nation is in just as much
). uanger as it was at any time during two
4 world wars. This being true, let's not
i oepeno on any plan" that might or might
hot make its secure at the end of four
lyears.