Evening star., 1947-12-20
Confusion Over China

OenoIal We0euleyeI, WIiOSc 1oPo1o oAA 1AAo
presidential mission to China is still
secret for security reasons" has now added
his voice to those who favor all possible
aid to the government Of Generalissimo
Chang Kai-shek. In his warm tndorse-
mert of that government and in his ap-
parent desire to extend help Immediately,
his views seem considerably at odds with
those of Secretary Marshall-a fact that
serves only to add to the American peo-
pies growing confusion over this subject.
AS military man well acquainted with
the Chinese problem, General Wedemeyer
speaks with authority. But so also does
General Marshall, who devoted a year
before becoming Secretary of State to
painstaking effort to end the civil war
between Chiang's forces and the Commu-
nists. Last January, on his return from
that futile mission, he made clear that
the extremists on both sides had wrecked
the American mediation attempt and that
the United States would be well advised to
follow a wait-and-see policy from that
point on.
Within recent weeks, however, after
having waited and seen, and amid mount
ing pressure from largely Republican
group, Secretary Marshall has come out
in favor of extending limited aid to China
under bill to be considered in connec-
ton with the projected European Recov-
cry Program. Thus, as far as the idea OF
help itself is concerned, there is no con-
fict between him and General Wedemeyer
or others who have lately been appealing
strongly in Generalissimo Chiang's behalf.
But differences do exist as to the timing
and scope of such help. The Marshall
view is to give priority to Europe; the
opposing view is to act at once in an
all-out spirit to bolster China.
It may be, of course, that the aid
Chiang-now group has information to
Justify the urgency with which they
speak, but up to the present that informa-
tion-possibly contained in the secret
Wedemeyer report-haS not been forth
coming. On the other hand-at least on
the face of things-the realities of the
situation seem to give strong support to
the Marshall approach. To begin with,
although the Communists are a great
threat in China, they are an even greater
and more immediate threat in Europe.
The Chinese have mighty potentials, but
their economy is predominantly agrarian,
and the plain fact is that they therefore
do not weigh as Importantly in the world
balance of power as the highly industrial
lied and relatively more stable nations
scheduled to participate in the European
Recovery Program.
Certainly, if France, Britain, Germany
and the overall Western European in
dustrial and political complex should pass
under Soviet dominance, .China's future
would become largely academic. At this
stage in history, in the so-called cold
war" to contain communism the decisive
point is Europe. It is not agricultural
China, and Chinese aid must be appor-
toned accordingly. If we try to do every
thing at once everywhere on the same
scale, we shall be flirting with the danger
of so scattering our strength as to be
effective nowhere. There can be no doubt
that Generalissimo Chang needs help, but
there are questic--7 to be raised as to how
much and when. The important thing Is