Evening star., 1947-03-26
Trumon's S Greek Policy
Is Bused on Precedent
Uruguay Proclaimed Doctrine
Within the Last Two Years
By Dapid Laurence

By Dapid Laurence
Those administration officials who
have endeavored to christen the Presi-
dents recent pronouncement of policy
toward Greece. and Turkey as the "Tru-
man doctrine" are not rendering serv-
ice either to the policy or to Mr.. Tru-
man.
For the policy would be vulnerable to
far more attack than it is now getting if
the idea were created that Mr.. Truman
forth some new policy when the truth
is he has merely reafhrmed the basis on
which the United States entered World
War I and the basis on which it
found entry into World War II impera-
tive
The first real departure from tradition
came in 1917 when President Woodrow
Wilson told Congress that 'the world
must be made safe for democracy" He
pointed out then that wherever despot-
ism or militarism rules, no country with
democratic system can feel safe. The
despotism of 1917 did not differ from the
despotism of 1941 In both cases military
power and autocracy made the demo-
cratic nations feel insecure, and when
their sovereign rights were attacked the
cause was not stated as simply a defense
against such attacks but was broadened
to denounce the whole framework of
despotism.
Mr.. Wilson'S idea was that disarma-
ment would be impossible if despotism
continued in any major country where
the warmaking power was not in the
hands of the people but in the custody
of one mans arbitl ary will.
Statements Compared.
The First World War crushed the mill
tarism of Germany, but the militarism
reappeared and in 1899 again attacked
the democracies of Europe and subse-
quently threatened the security of the
United States.
What President Truman SAID a fort
with what the late President Wilson
told Congress when America entered
World War I:
"The world must be made safe for
democracy " and We shall fight for
the things which we have always carried
nearest our hearts-for democracy, for
the right of those who submit to author
ity to have voice in their own govern
ments, for the rights and liberties of
small nations, for a universal dominion
of right by such concert of free peoples
as shall bring peace and safety to all
nations and make the world itself at
last free"
What President Truman has so
courageously done is to reaff1rm in peace
time the basis for which America fought
two wars. This is in contrast to what
other Presidents did between World War
I and World War II and there is plenty
of room for praise for Mr.. Truman'S
action without giving it name that
weakens rather than strengthens the
American position on principle.
If rame is insisted on, then It
might better be called the "Uruguayan
doctrine" because it is Uruguay which
has proclaimed within the last two
years that interventiofk in the affairs
of any country was justified if internal
conditions therein threatened the peace
OF the world.
Secretary of State Byrnes announced
the concurrence of the United States
in the Uruguayan doctrine. Indeed If
such doctrine had been universally
adopted after World War I and had
been enforced by the major powers Of
the world, then World War II would
have been averted.
Meaning in Latin America.
Incidentally, those observers who are
referring to the Truman policy as an
extension on a world wide basis of the
Monroe Doctrine are unaware of what
the Monroe Doctrine has meant in
Pan-American relationships for the
last century Latin America has bitterly
assailed the conception that the United
States, by reason of its proximity to
Central AMI South America or because
Of the declaration of President Monroe.
had any right of Intervention when
internal conditions were disturbed.
Certainly the United States at no time
has intervened to support any particu-
lar form of government in Latin
America and the countries to the south
of us rejected every proposal that was