Milford chronicle., 1947-05-02

hasn't made any spectacular achievements,
but it hasn't done as bad job by any means
as it's critics contend. In justice to the Re-
publican majority, it must be pointed out
that this is the first time the COP has had
control of either branch in fourteen years.
and it has naturally had plenty of organiza-
tional troubles. On top of that, this Congress
had to put into effect the sweeping ReOrgan-
ization Bill, job with many headaches. 1t
has had to act on an abnormally large num-
Der of Presidential appointments of which
some, such as that of Mr.. Lilienthal resulted
in lengthy argument. In spite of all this, 1t
has made good start on the tax reduction
bill - though there are deep rumblings
against it in the Senate, and forecasts of
Presidential veto if it passes in the House
form. 1t has made progress along the COM
plex road of labor legislation, and it has done
some very serious studying of Mr.. Trumans
budget.
There will be real fireworks when Con-
gress gets around to considering the Admin
istration's program for aid to Greece, Tur-
key, and other countries which Mr.. Truman
fears will fall into the expanding Russian
orbit unless we take strong counter steps. 1t
is obvious that, once one accepts the premises
on which this program is based, we Will be
committed to policy whose end cannot be
foreseen. AS Walter Lippman has phrased
it, we will, in effect, be continuing lend-lease.
The British situation makes the problem es-
pecially grave. England is using up her
"hard money" resources at an alarming rate,
and it is not achieving sufficient export busi
ness to anywhere near offset this. Economic
pressure forced Britain to announce that
she must pull out of Greece-and economic
pressure may force her to pull out of Ger
many, which is still another heavy drain on
her slender and dwindling resources. Once
that happens, it is obvious that only the U. S.
A. or the u. S. S. r. can step in.
The roots of the issue go deep indeed
deeper, perhaps, than millions of Americans
realize. The case for American imperialism
has been best summed up in powerful and
highly controversial book called "The Strug-
gle for the World" by professor of history
at Columbia. Its basic thesis is that wars of
limited Objectives are no longer possible, and
that world domination is the only possible
goal. 1t proceeds on the assumption that
form of war between us and the Soviet Union
has been underway for two years. And it
holds that we must gain and hold allies by
any and all means open to us, regardless of
the risks and the costs, and must build our
strength in every direction, if we are to es-
Those who believe in this doctrine freely
admit its dangers-even to that of war But
they insist that there is no other course open
to us in world torn between two deolOgies
which are diametrically opposed in every
particular.
There are very few isolationists left in
the Congress, but there are many members
who believe we must follow cautious mid
dle-grOund policy for the time being at least.
However, the Republicans, such as Senator
Vandenberg with the greatest regulations
for knowledge of international affairs, are in
basic agreement with the frankly interna-
tionalist views of President Truman They
differ over details, but not over main prin-
clples. And it is reported that the very in
fiuential Senator Taft is moving toward this
point of view, and will vote accordingly
Practically all of the Democrats, of course,
will accept the White House lead.
In this modern world, the diplomats and
the military men walk side by side. 1t is not
entirely coincidental that some of our top
representatives in the field of foreign affairs
are soldiers = General Marshall, General
Walter Bedell Smith, and General Clay for
example. In every international discussion
the possibility of the use of military force
colors the talk. 1t is no secret that the atomic
Domb is one of the principal worries of the
russians, and that their scientists aided, it
is reported, by very distinguished nuclear
physicists brought from Germany-have
oeen gwen every possible resource in an at
tempt to perfect one. This, too, presents
serious problem to Congress, which must ul-
tlmately make the final decision as to the con-
troi ano use OF atomic energy in this country.
In short, it becomes more and more diff
cult to separate our domestic policy from in
ternational policy. Such questions as our ma
tlonal budget, trade relations, and the pro-
posed military training for young men, all
nave repercussions of one kind or another
throughout the world. Ex-President Hoo
vers report on his tour of Europe, in which
ne pointed to the chaos that confronts the old
world, is still another indication of the grav-