The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-04-05
VERY TRULY YOURS
~ SENATOR CLAUDE PEPPER

i This is a tough time for those
who believe in Democracy. For
several years the tide has been
running against Democracy here
lin America. It reached its high
point last year in the elections.
One man described the present
Congress recently as the worst
IN twenty five years. / would
mot 60 that far, but it is the
worst IN fifteen years And pub
Tic opinion, too, has been mis-
|! He'd and deceived and confused by
1.-The selfish and reactionary prop
uganda which has been daily and
nightly poured out upon the peo-a
pile from a thousand rich treas
uries and designing minds. But
some of us have got to keep
Iour eye on the fundamental is
sues and dare to risk the storm
/ and to fight for principles that
we believe essential to the peace
and well-being of the people of
this country and this world.
That means that some Of us
have got to stand up and fight
now for the United Nations and
against the United States trying
to take over the mantle that
Britain wore for a century as
being the worlds dominating i'm
perial power. That means we
have got to oppose President
Truman's proposal as il is made,
to enter into "a death struggle
for power politics in the remote
areas of Greece and Turkey. We
have got to try to show the
Congress and the country that
the issue is not aid to Greece,
which we all favor to the full
extent Of the needs Of the great
Greek people. but the issues are
two. First, shall we, who took the
lead in establishing the United
Nations, now scuttle it? Second,
shall the United States forsake
her traditional role as leader of
the democratic forces of the wofld
and now sink to the level of COM
mon power politics and welcome
the principal supporter of discred-
iting kings and other non-demo-
cratic rulers in other parts of the
world, as against people who are
fighting for Democracy in their
own lands?
. A well-known official of the
United Nations is reputed to have
remarked, "The United Nations
cannot stand another blow like
this, referring to the Presidents
proposal. In fact, at the last meet
ing fof the General Assembly. Ex-
Mayor LaGuardia of New York,
who had been head of UNRRA, |
knowing the likelihood of just
such crisis as the Greek crisis
arising, pleaded with the United
Nations to set up an emergency
international fund in the United
Nations. Mayor LaGuardia had
seen Stain and got him. to. agree
that Russia would participate.
Canada and many other nations
of the United States supported |
such a proposal, but the United
States and Great Britain would |
not have it. They insisted on ma
tons acting as individuals ma
tions in giving relief rather than
through the United Nations.
Now, it must sting United Ma
tions officials to have the United
States Government, the very
government which helped to
prevent the setting up of an in
ternational emergency fund that /
might have saved Greece, now
charge that the United Nations .
has no fund and is not capable
of meeting the Greek crisis.
In the Committees, in the !
Cloak. rooms of the Congress, I'M
private conversation with gov
eminent officials, it is well |
known that the real reasons for |
the Presidents proposal are not
to give aid to the Greek people |
alone, but to play the game of
imperial politics in this strategic |
area of the Eastern Mediterrane-
an, and TO lock horns with the
spread of Russian and communis-
tic influence.
We are, of course, against COM
munism and the spread of COM
munism. II is an odious doctrine.
But should we commit ourselves
to fight communism in every
country of the world with unlim-
tied money and, if necessary, with
military force? Is it Greece and
Turkey today, and tomorrow
China, and the next day Argen-
tina, and thereafter in no telling
what countries?
We don't even propose to give
relief to Turkey, for nobody
claims that they seriously need
1t. What Turkey seeks is an Army.
The British were helping the
Turks maintain their army of