Evening star., 1947-06-23
On the Record
Soviet Loses Protection
Of Traditional u. S. Policy
Agitation Prevents Our Return
To So-Called Isolationism
n, na.atL. TL,-A.a.
By Dorothy Th0u 0s0u

-
The traditional American foreign policy has
been called "isolationism,' but that Is over
simplifcation.
We have taught good and reciprocal reia-
tions with all states regardless Of their form
Of government or social order. With few
deplorable lapses In Latin America, we have
refrained from interference in the internal
affairs of other nations. We have supported
the independence OF all American states
against non-American attempts at subjections.
We never have made permanent alliances nor
joined non-American "blocs.' We have never
maintained large peacetime military establish
ments
Throughout the world we have supported
our right to offer our goods and bid for
resources for lease or sale on equal terms
with every one else.
We repeatedly have taken the lead or joined
in efforts to abolish war. and have been will
ing to 60 to great lengths in achieving this
provided agreement is with all.
We never have crusaded abroad for
"Americanism" recognizing that our democracy
is the peculiar outgrowth of factors existing
nowhere else. We. on the whole have minded
our own business to our own satisfaction and
every one elSe's.
Soviet flinders Traditional Policy.
This is the foreign policy that most Amer
leans long for, and because there seem to be
traces of it in Henry Wallace's speeches, he
has more support than that of the fellow
travellers.
But it is a gross error to think that Pres
ident Truman, Secretary Marshall or John
Foster Dulles do not long dearly to find way
to make this policy again possible Franklin
D. Roosevelt tried to protect it in the Atlantic
Charter, which was designed to permit us,
after the war, to re-establish it.
1t is the policy which the Soviet Union
earnestly should wish us to maintain. But it
is precisely the Soviets who are hindering 1t,
by expanding world in which the tradition
affords us neither secure defense nor equality
Of peaceful commercial competition.
The United States gained nothing in Te-
heran and Yalta; the gains were all to the
Soviets. But-in my belef-the Soviets also
lost much more than they can possibly win
from the incursions into Europe and the East.
in exploiting the opportunities which these
agreements gave them For they lost the
certainty of peace with the United States
through our return to traditional policy
Had they been as wise as they were ambi-
tious, they would have struggled for a policy
encouraging the United States to withdraw
as speedily as possible from Europe and the
Eastern Hemisphere. The obvious price would
have been the adoption of q similar Soviet
policy That is actually what Mr.. Roosevelt
counted on from the Soviets-and mistakenly.
Loses Greater Protection.
Thus what Russia has been losing for the
protection" afforded by stooge governments
is the vastly greater protection that would
have been afforded by American traditional
policy
Secretary Marshall, in remodeling the Tru-
man doctrine, is opening-I think-the oppor-
tunity for second thought by the Soviets
Europe and the East want nothing more than
that both the Sovtets and Americans should,
while aiding them, leave them alone to work
out their salvation on equally good terms with
both great powers.
The Soviets cannot possibly believe that
coups. like the one in Hungary, brighten the
prospect Of peace, nor can they hope propa-
ganda will exempt them Of completely. One
word in Pravda, indicating that the Soviets
frown on Communists attaining power by other
means than uncoerced electoral methods,
would turn them all into lambs
One does not need to be "hater" Of the
Soviets or communism to be convinced that
the interests of the Soviet state and the world
Communist movement are by no means identi-
cal. Stain Is supposed to have seen this but
no one knows who really is running Russia
today. Whoever is, is not following Stalinism
as advertised but revived Trotskyism which
in the long run-will bring no good to the
Soviet Union nor any one else.
Released by the Bell Syndicate, 1nc.)