Evening star., 1947-03-05

/ Greek Crisis May Set
Course Of US. Policy
Situation Viewed as Part of Clash
of American and Soviet Views
By David Laurence
An atmosphere of crisis" has been
injected into the Government within
the last 10 days by the Greek situation.
Congress has been importuned in hush
hush conferences between its commit
tees and representatives of the State
Department to view the whole world
situation in the perspective of new and
unexpected commitments.
The dispatches have been telling about
grave and historic decisions. The
whole problem revolves around one
simple fact: There is no peace in Europe
and state of war continues.
The state of war does not relate
merely to Germany or the former Axis
satellites, but it relates directly to q
threat OF aggression from the direction
OF Russia. If Greece isn't saved, then
Russia, 1t Is argued, will reach the
Mediterranean and flank Turkey. The
British say they can't stand the eco
nomic strain of bolstering Greece so
they ask the United States to "take
over, AS for the Near East, Britain
Is supposed to be afraid that the
Russians will take over" in the Arab
world.
All this is leading up to a drain on
the American taxpayers which can
raise havoc with plans to cut the
Federal budget and reduce taxes. So
IL becomes essential for all proposed
commitments to be examined in the
light OF absolute necessity and to de-
termine also what American policy in
a world sense is to be.
Moscow Meeting Involved.
The whole situation touches. too m
the forthcoming conference at Moscow
where determination must be reached
as to the future of Germany. If Russia
intends to assume control of 80 percent
OF Austrian industry and the 30 per-
cent OF German industry which Is in
the so-called Russian zone, there will
be an end to German or Austrian
sovereignty in the Russian zones. This
is aggression in its plainest form.
what Will Secretary of State Marshall
DO about all this at Moscow? Will he
make compromise peace" and ap-
pease the Russians as the "left wingers"
IN America want him to do or will he
stand firm against the dismemberment
OF Germany and Austria? In any event
the Greek situation is not an isolated
affair.
The United States must make I'D its
mind now whether there is any way
10 make real peace in Europe TODAY
or whether the situation has to continue
IN drifting state for some time to
come while the United Nations gets
stronger and world opinion begins to
be mobilized with respect to protective
measures against further aggression by
Moscow.
The tendency here is to camoufiags
the truth and speak of new responsi.
bilities" or new commitments" for
America. The truth is the United States
is engaged in diplomatic skirmishes
with Russia which amount to a recog-
milton that the Russians and the rest
OF the world are in state approxi-
mating that of war.
How long will it be before the Russians
will abandon their aggressive purposes
either because Of economic counter
measures that inevitably must be
utilized against them or because q
worldwide alliance will, within q few
years, be formed through the U. N. to
persuade Russia to change her course?
Complaint CLOSED Over.
1t Is unfortunate that, when the
Russians took issue with Undersecretary
Acheson's involuntary comment before
a Senate committee to the effect that
Russian policy appeared to be "ag-
gressive and expanding" the State De-
partment didn't plead the truth of the
libel. so to speak. 1t would have been
far more helpful to have pointed out
specific instances and circumstances
which have shown the Russians to be
aggressive than to have CLOSED over
the ISSUE, Indeed, the publication Of
every note exchanged between the two
governments since VI day would In
itself be informative. It will be re-
called that the State Department de-
clined to give publicity to the texts of
notes being exchanged With Japan be-
fore Pearl Harbor, and as q consequence
American public opinion was caught by
surprise.
If Congress is to be asked to supply
funds and to take over new commit
ments In Europe or Asia so as to check
mate Russian expansion, the sooner the
facts are made known to the American
people the better able will Congress
be to vote on and support such ap-
preparations.
If the future safety of the United
States as against potential aggressor
Is at stake, the American people will
willingly spend money now in
campaign of prevention in order to
spare the lives of their youth later.
But the public isn't being told of the