The Wilmington morning star., 1947-06-07
Peace Treaties
By ANNE O'HARE MCCORMICK

Dictatorships can move quickly, quietly,
without statements preparing public opinion
tor what they are about to do. They can
always start war, military Or political, with
out declaring war. Democracies can do none
OF these things. They cannot proceed by bold
col1ps and about programs. They have to
prepare the ground, plan in the open and
stage reverberating debates in Congress be-
fore they can persuade the people that action
is necessary.
This is where Washington is at a disadvan.
tage N dealing with Moscow. We have made
costly mistakes of judgment since the war
in discerning under the illusion that we were
at peace; in persevering until it broke down
in an unavoidable occupation policy in Ger.
mary; in trying to make piecemeal settle
ments without tackling the main question.
When the course had to be reversed at last,
perhaps another mistake was to talk 80 much
about what our action in Greece and Turkey
really meant.
But could Mr.. Truman have succeeded in
getting even his limited program through if
he had not sounded the alarm Of Soviet ex-
%pansion? He might have got an appropriation
by a simple request for funds to take over
British commitments in a strategic spot. but
it's doubtful. Still more doubtful is whether
Congress would have backed at that moment
the immensely larger project for bolstering
up all of western Europe. This is what was
anu 40 uoCdCo, I-oIc vi SeuIy VIII every Udy
that passes, but to explain this in terms that
would drive the need home to the American
people would require even more challenging
and provocative words.
Anyway, the challenge has been taken up.
The seizure Of power by the Communists in
Hungary shows a careless contempt for the
Western Allies and world opinion that is more
ominous than the haggling over the peace
treaties. For the Allies still share responsible
ity in Hungary; we are the signatories of a
treaty liking her future status and guarantee
ing her independence. Senator Vandenberg ar
gu"d fer the ratification Of the treaty in the
Senate yesterday on the ground that it would
hasten the withdrawal Of Soviet troops and
tend to make Hungary more rather than less
free.
There is no need for occupation armies
if ne country is conquered before they depart,
and not much sense in treaties if their terms
are abrogated before they 60 into effect.
There may be no better alternatives, but as
events are now developing it is idle to pretend
that ratification of the secondary settlements
will do much toward restoring peace or the
hoped-for normal relations between nations.
Never was it more evident that peace means
peace with Russia.
And Russia is doing pretty we'll as it is.
Now that Hungary is 'democratized, the
deadlock on Austria may be broken, for Rus
STA is more eager TO get our armies out OF
$1,000 ~ N'NA Wv 49, I w WIZ A"o VI
Allied forces serve 10 protect the elected gov
eminent in Vienna and prevent the process
witch will turn a 4 per cent minority into a
ruling majority. Austria is now the only doubt
full position left in southe astern Europe. The
chances of an international Trieste are i'm
meAsurably weakened as the entire hinterland
is drawn into the Soviet sphere.
Seatcr Vandenberg recognizes this. One
reason he wants the Italian treaty ratified
is 70 get our troops out Of an explosive area.
But how can the British and American ar
mics leave Italy before the free zone is Or
gained and policed? Agreement on a gov
ernor is no nearer than it was months ago
If there is trouble, what can the United
Nations do? If the treaty is broken by a
rising engineered or supported from without,
what is the obligation of the treaty-n1akers
toward a disarmed Italy?
These questions, and many others, must
harass the ~policy-makers in Washington. Bat
a point to bear in mind Is that, while the
Hungarian coup, so insolently carried out, is
an answer to the Truman challenge, the pol.
icy it represents long antedated our move
in Greece. The overthrow of the Budapest
Government is 10 sudden riposte; from the
day the Stockholders were elected, the Com
munists have been working to get rid OF
them. All the reforms they put through, such
as the dlspossession of the old landlords and
the drastic distribution of the land, could not
avail to save them.
~ SlSiAlilcdnt, moreover, that IN Italy,
as IN France and Belgium, the Communists
are out Of the Government by their own
choice. They are staging big demonstration
against the new Italian administration in ev-
cry town, but Nitti and Orlando tried hard to
induce them to join the Cabinet before de
Gasperl took the great gamble of trying to
govern without them. In France, at least,
according to reliable reports, this %abstention
was OF orders from Moscow, which may mean
that the overall Communist strategy in the
selves.
IN any case there isl well-planned strategy.
Inc truman initiative only hurried the action.
II u FORCED the pace a little, this is a re-
sssurlns porteat. signifying that If the United
ota es is able to consolidate it's power into a
plan o. cooperation with the really democratic
forces lett in Europe. construction can still
wa lhe race against destruction. But time IS
snort mo AS Pope Plus XII warned the other day.
us year may be the last ehxnca "a ND
kpeace. New Koeas. xinaesI