Evening star., 1947-04-23
Vote on Greek Bill
Aids Free Peoples

wore OF 0I6ek Dill
Aids Free Peoples
Senate Action Backs President
on u. S. Policy in Europe
By Dapid Laurence
More than two-thirds Of the United
States Senate now have voted to support
the American policy In Greece and
Turkey.
The vote came from both Republicans
and Democrats--in fact, there were more
Republicans than Democrats. This Is
an event Of paramount significance. It
is indeed q contrast with what hap
pened after World War In the Senate.
when the Republicans declined to go
along with the proposal for American
entry into the League of Nations.
The vote on the Greek Turkish ques-
ton is far more important than any
vote for ratification of either the U. N.
or the League. It lis vote that directly
appropriates American funds to support
free peoples as far distant as the Near
East. No appropriation of such size
has ever been made in peacetime in con-
nection with European country, though
large sums have from time to time been
extended to China.
It Is not the amount of money but
the principal involved that Is Of major
Importance. Approval by the House ap-
pears to be a foregone conclusion, so
it may be said now that the Congress
is backing up the President in ANNOUNCE
Ing to the world Americas recognition
OF the plight OF small countries.
Aimed at Communism.
The move, of course, is aimed at Rus
sian communism and particularly at
the attempts of the Moscow government
to infiltrate inside Greece and Turkey
and cause governments there to be
weakened and overthrown so that COM
munistic regimes can come into power.
The Russians deny that they are do
ing anything in Greece or Turkey. Pre-
sumably they would deny that they have
any competition with Communists in
sian intervention in Greece and Turkey
are well known and the American ap-
preparation is intended to bolster botn
Greece and Turkey so that they can
overcome the infiltration of Communists.
Opponents of the bill which has just
passed the Senate looked at the mate
rialistic side and endeavored to prove
that the United States was embarking
on a policy of prohigate lending or
spending in other countries of the world
or that oil interests were implicated.
There is no foundation for such theory.
The whole plan is to notify Russia that
the United States stands ready to sup
port weaker nations. 1t is expected that
the smaller nations will not succumb so
readily to communistic influence If thew
know that larger powers are willing to
help them.
Diplomatic Move.
In a policy sense. the American pro-
posal is a move in the field of diplomacy
rather than in the area of military prep
aration. Russia's tactics are no longer
obscure. The purpose of her vehement
propaganda campaign and obstruction
in every international conference is to
exhaust the patience Of the American
officials and also of the American people,
so that the United States will retreat
from Europe altogether. If the United
States did so, Russia would have Europe
to herself.
The effort to oust the United States
from Europe has not succeeded. Former
Secretary Byrnes in his famous speech
at Stuttgart last September and the ac-
ton of the United States Senate this
week show that America is not going to
retreat from Europe and leave weaker
nations to the mercy of the Russian
Communists
Efforts to bring about an understand
ing with Russia have not been success
full. Americas record of repeated con-
cessions and appeasement has been of
no avail. The Russians profess friend
ship for the United Nations, for instance,
but have virtually anesthetized that or
ganization through the use of the veto
power. Some Americans have been mis-
led by the argument that the United
States has allegedly by-passed the U. N.
Russia has not only by-passed the U. N.
but has forced the Security Council into
impotence. The international police
force to preserve peace, long spoken of as
bulwark Of the U. N, has never come
into being because Russia has blocked
such efforts. The U. N. today has no
means of stopping aggression by any
nation and will not have If the Soviet
has its way in the U. N.
The situation is by no means hope
less, even though it has discouraging
aspects Firmness by the United States
and votes such as the Senate recorded
ON the Greek Turkish question will
sooner or later impress the Russian
people as they slowly but surely dis
cover the truth.
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