Evening star., 1947-09-03
The President at PetropoIis

In his fortnight address to the Inter-
American Conference at Petropolis, Presi-
dent Truman has been at pains to empha-
to use its power-a power unique in
human history"-to do everything it can
to promote and bulwark permanent world
peace.
This is generalization, but the Presi-
dent-With the Russians in mind, though
not mentioning thenl-has left no room
for doubt that it has teeth in it. Lest
there be any misunderstanding, he has
implicitly warned the Kremlin not to mis-
read our traditional aversion to violence
as "lack of determination on our part
to live up to the obligations of the United
Nations Charter" or as a sign of weakness
inviting Others to take liberties with the
foundations of international peace"
In effect, the President has served notice
on the world-particularly on the aggreS~
sive- -minded-that the United States in
tends to support the peace, through the
United Nations, with all its armed and
economic resources. In his words, "We
do not believe that present international
differences will have to be resolved" by
war, but to keep the danger of war as
remote as possible. American military
strength will be retained as evidence of
the seriousness with which we view our
obligations"
But the maintenance of such strength
represents only part of what the United
States proposes to do to carry out the
immense international responsibilities in
herent in it's uniquely immense power. AS
the President has declared at Petropols,
we intend to provide economic help to
speed up the recovery of Western Europe
the recovery of all "thoSe who are pre-
pared to help themselves and each other"
Over and above that, cooperating with
countries of like mind within the United
Nations, we intend to do whatever can be
done-by deed as well as word-to give
life to the principles of the u. N. and to
work for the attainment of worldwide re-
spect for essential human rights" Those
rights are now missing from a number
of Soviet dominated lands. Until they are
honored everywhere, the peace will be un
certain and there will be need for vigilance
among the free.
AS for the Western Hemisphere itself,
the President has rightly described it as
the greatest single source of hope for the
exhausted and fear-ridden Old World.
The New Worlds ever-enlarging pattern
of cooperation has already set an excel
lent example for all lands. The historic
treaty worked out at Petropolis-a treaty
under which the Americas pledge them
selves to act in concert against aggression
coming either from within or outside the
hemisphere-is the latest and most prom
ising case in point. If similar regional
arrangements could be negotiated else
where, and If they could be backed by the
kind of long-term economic collaboration
the President has just advocated for the
inter American system, the United Nations
would wax in strength and the interna
tional outlook would be far brighter than
1t is now.
In any event, the President has made
clear that the United States is dedicated
to the task of promoting lasting peace
of free men" by every means at its dis
posal, even military if need be. This is
more than mere rhetoric. Whether we
like it or not, the mantle of world leader
ship is ours because of our unparalleled
power. We can throw it off, we can fail to
discharge our heavy responsibilities, only
at the risk of leaving the field clear to
totalitarian Russia. That is the main
between -the-lines point of Mr.. Truman's
important address at Petropolis.