The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-10
TODAY
and


There Is IllS HUB N~o
difference b e President
Monroe's message Of Dec. 2, 1873,
and P~resi--nt Truman's OF March
II, lS47: Monroe made his decla-
ratit / only when ne knew beyond
reasonable doubt how the com-
mitnnent was TO be met, indeed
that there was virtually no chance
whatever that he would be unable
to NEE. if. The Monroe Doctrine.
unlike the Truman. was preceded
by negotiations abroad and by
cool and studied consultation at
home in which jefferson. Madi-
son, and John Quincy Adams play
ed the leading parts.
They approved the declaration
when they had before them the
definite assurance, given in Au-
gus. to the American Minister
Rush by Canning, that Great Bri-
tain. then in undisputed command
Of the sea, had decided to prevent
the reconquest Of the Spanish col
oaies in the Western Hemisphere.
It was then, when Jefferson nae
read the dispatches from Rush
about the British decision, that ne
approved what became the Mon
o Doctrine. saying that al
Europe combined would not IN
dertake such q war, for how could
they propose 20 get al elmer en-
envy britain CT the United StaIss)
without superior fleets" Madison
was equally definite and practical
In realizing that il was the assur-
ance Of overwhelming power
which justified til e commitment:
1T is particularly fortunate" ne
wrote to President Monroe, that
the policy OF Crea. Britain. though
guided by calculations different
from ours. has presented a CO.
operation for az object the same
with ours. With that cooperation
we have nothing 70 fear from the
rest of Europe, and with II the
best assurance Of success 10 our
laudab.e views"
The Truman Doctrine expresses
our Iaudable views. But unlike the
Monroe Doctrine il has been de-
clared to the world without me
kind of careful calculation Of the
assurances of success, which were
made by Jefferson, Madison,
Adams and Monroe before they
announced their laudable views.
The difference is a big one-oe-
tween making a promise when
you know you can carry out. and
making a promise first, n then
wondering now you are going to
carry it out. II is the difference
between bold but astute states
manship and reckless rhetoric.
AS a result Senator Byrd mas
asked the Administration a ques-
ton which is quite proper but, un-
der the so-called Truman Doctrine
as it now stands, is quite unan-
swerable. Senator Byrd wants to
know whether I'VE have the re-
sources alone TO pay the bill"
What bill? Tn immediate BILL
Tor Greece alone is nearly $780,
900. 900. But under the Admins
tration policy this can be only the
first installment. The money is
to be used To balance the Greek
budget this year on behalf OF a
government which collected al
most no taxes and is, with our
approval conducting a civil war.
Conceivably this installment
would pay the Greek bill if there
were set up promptly in Athens a
government which can collect a x
es and can unite the bulk Of the
Greek people. But the deficits OF
this government, which protects
the profiteers and is trying to
crush the republicans as well as
the Communists, will continue as
long as the government, as nov
constituted and conducted, exists.
Yet Greece IS only a pin point IN
the Truman global policy. There
can be no enc to the financial
costs Of that policy because ade-
quate precautions have not been
taken to see TO it that the money
will accomplish the purposes for
which 1t is given. Unless the
Greek government is reformed,
Greece will not be stabilized by
u meeting the deficits OF that
government.
The case Of Greece illustrates
concretely the basic fallacy Of the
Truman Doctrine in its present