Evening star., 1947-03-17

2reSS OF Cflc COullIlJ "t -.
man made the situation bare IN MI
message. Bluntly pointing out the
threat to American security II
Greece and Turkey drift, or are
driven into chaos and Communism
he requested authority to buttresi
these trembling countries WIZ
money and materials. Conceoeoly
II is a perilous path which we are
asked to take, and it is easy tc
understand the feeling OF many Wnc
would rather not tread it-one OF
whom undoubtedly Is Mr.. Truman.
But this Is no time for wild tax
from jittery statesmen or sman
partisanship from narrow ones: Ii
ever there was time to rise above
noltics and cast aside small sus-
nicions. this Is it. If ever there was
a moment to face realities, 1t mas
arrived.
Truman Takes Responsibility.
What should be plain to every
American - particularly in Con-
gress-is that Mr.. Truman has not
Shrunk from facing them. His posi-
ton has been taken with great re-
luctance; but II he had taken any
other he would have been damned
and with justice-as craven, 1naoe-
uuate, uncomprehending. And 1t al
ways should be most clearly recog-
nizsd that the "loan" is not one Mr..
Truman wanted to recommend -
the responsibility one which ne
would like to have avoided. Yet he
has not hinched from 1t.
Clearly, the decision could not be
shirked-the step was forced upon
us by a series of dismaying events
over which we had no control. Nor
are the views expressed by the Presi-
dent merely his own views. They
also are those of Secretary OF State
Marshall, former Secretary OF State
Byrnes, Undersecretary Acheson
Senator Vandenberg, John Foster
Dulles and vast majority OF in
formed and intelligent men OF both
parties throughout the country.
Risky, expensive and disturbing
though the Truman course may be,
the alternatives, sall of which have
been weighed prayerfully as well as
carefully, are so much more danger
GUS and costly that few care to con-
template them. It is significant that
in the political as in the journalistic
field, the really violent opposition
comes from the extreme isolationlsts
among the Republicans and the
Democratic pro-Soviet radicals,
such as Henry Wallace and the
egregious Senator Pepper.
Congress Must Support Policy.
The vehement arguments (close to
the party line in the Daily Worker)
of this strange combination ought to
commend the Truman proposals to
enlightened men in both parties and
to the people as whole. Actually
as Mr.. Vandenberg has declared, 1t
is unthinkable that Congress should
fail to support the President on this
momentous issue.
Such a failure would exhibit the
United States in an utterly deplor-
able light. 1t would advertise dis
unity, timidity and stupidity In for
eign affairs disastrous as well as
humiiating. The strength of our
representative at the Moscow Con-
ference, Gen. George c. Marshall,
would be undermined. The United
Nations would be enfeebled by de-
liberate REIMBURSEMENT Of leader
ship vital to its well being. Our ILL
wishers all over the world would be
gratified and encouraged. The ulti-
mate consequences could be calam-
itous in the extreme.
Most trenchantly Mr.. Truman
made the point that the funda-
mental issue in Greece and Turkey
is the same for which we went to
war against Germany and Japan
to prevent the oppression of free
people by aggressive totalitarian
states. His proposals are consistent
with our professions. pretensions
and promises. And they are the
logical outcome of our stand at every
international conference. 1t. OF
course, is regrettable that we must
follow this path but prudent re-
gard for our own safety along with
the necessity of retaining our ma
tional self-respect make it hard to
see what else there is to do.
There Is one other fact worth