The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-19
tedAcquaintance
Nv ARTHUR ROC


bv ARTHUR KROCK
WASHINGTON, April 10 Any remaining
doubt that the first legislation under the Iru-
imam Doctrine the G~reek-Turkish aid Dill
would pass Congress by emphatic maJorltles
has been removed by Henry A. Wallace. AS
so often before, he lent great assistance to
. ,roiect he opposed. Members OF Congress,
who have been looking for a cushion against
their own misgivings and those OF their con-
stituents, again have found one in the FORMER
Vice President.
But. though Mr.. Walace's emotional ex-
cursion to increase and deepen dlsapproval
of the pending legislation among the Euro
pean democracies has had this mathematical
effect on Capitol Hill, it has not produced
any more actual enthusiasm for the Truman
Doctrine in Congress. In numerous CONVEX
sations with members this correspondent has
| discovered only one or W. who truly sub
scribe ir the context OF the Greek-Turklsh
bill to the Presidents own definition OF his
doctrines.
The context has much to do with this atti-
tude. For example Congress does not accept
the Greeks and Turks as examples OF nee
PEOPLES" and on that basis alone Mr.. Tru-
mans statement Of his Doctrine appears to
many to be in conflict with the first measure
proposed to enforce it. Despite official reti-
cance to agree, a great many members OF
Congress are about to vote for this bill as
a combination of power politics and military
forehandedness, and to subject similar pro-
posals in the future to the same tests. mat
should be, and doubtless is, privately satls-
factory to the administration because 1t serves
to achieve the immediate executive purpose.
But it is not in the spirit or text OF the
Truman Doctrine as proclaimed by the Presl-
dent.
This is not necessarily a grave reservation.
If the G~reek-Turkish program achieves Its
real otjectives-to check the spread OF po-
litical communism at two highly strategic
points on the globe-Succeedlng programs 10
the same end will meet less resistance IN
Congress and the administration may be en-
couraged to define the general purpose with
candor. If the first program Is patiently un-
successful, the problem will be whetner 10
trv more forceful alternatives or modify the
policy, and that will pose a wholly different
issue.
Therefore. the reasons which apparently
have persuaded a large majority in Congress
to support the Greek-Turkish bill with the
mental reservations mentioned offer no basis
for any sound belief abroad or among MI.
Walace's supporters that the legislative
branch is not committed to a definite anti
Communist foreign policy. The DOUBTS arise
over means, not ends, and that is somethlne
which all nations and governments concerned
should somehow be brought to realize. And,
though none in high executive place Will ad-
NIT it, Congress and the executive have also
concluded that this must be two worlds IN
stead Of one until or unless Soviet foreign
policy is fundamentally changed.
The administration made errors in its ap-
proach to Congress, however which gave foot
holds for opponents who otherwise would not
have had them and complicated the debate
with issues that need not have arisen. Events
have demonstrated that among those errors
were:
|. The haste inspired by the British notice
on Feb. 81 that its economic support OF Greece
would end March 81, the close of the British
fiscal year. Because of this the President and
his counselors failed to provide for that ST.
muItaneous notice to the United Nations which
deliberate craftsmanship would have toreseen
as essential. The failure to do so produced
sincere objections to the policy which could
have been avoided and gave a pretext for
insincere dissents.
2. Because of this haste also, Congress was
asked to inaugurate in a few days what on
HE LG1IlS SLdlGQ " tlG L oA0 10 q Y
foreign Lolicy, more momentous than any in
our history. And when Under-Secretary Ache
son was asked in the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations if any attempt had been
made to induce the British to extend the
"deadline" of March 81, his only reply was
that he had made an inquiry of the British
Ambassador to that purpose and had been
told that after March 81 that government
would have only about $12 millions left to
support the Greek economy. Senator's, resent
full of being given "a headline" argument
in such a matter, did not consider this very
much Of an effort.
3 Reversing the tactics of Secretaries of
State Hull, Stettinius and Byrnes, who slowly
and patiently built up bipartisan cooperation
in foreign policy, the administration failed to
bring the Republicans into the situation until
it's program was decided on, and then merely
told them of a fait accompli.
If the threat to peace and to the American
future were not plain and great, these mis-
takes, some Of which seem amateurish might
have put the Greek-Turkish bill in real
a reputation of the President before the
world in a most critical time. And Mr.. Wal
lace providentially has made that consider
alton even stronger and more inescapable.
Nevertheless, Congress will support the plan
with the misgivings which Mr.. Baruch uttered
in a speech at Columbia, S. c., today. "Un-
less he said, I'VE work we shall not be
able to maintain our claim to power" vel
cannot regenerate the world ''by loans.
grants. subsidies. bonuses or pious resolves'
=. but only bv being strong and ever strong
er at home.-New York Times.