Evening star., 1948-06-20
THE SUNDAY STAR, Washington, D. c.
SUNDAY, "a, 1919.
Aid for China Refuses
ToDie a Natural Death
Election Issue Shapes Up Over MarshalPs
Cold Shoulder of the Nationalists
on Military, Economic Help
By Constontine Brown

BY Consfo
The question. of support for Ch
the election campaigns this summ'
has taken the side Of Secretary OF s
the government Of the Chinese rep'
Until last Saturday Democrats
mind in favoring support, to the
government against the Commu-
nists.
Congress had appropriated some
$500, ,O0O, 900 for military and eco
nomic help to China. This was on
the same principle which had
prompted President Truman to ask
Congress for money for Turkey and
Greece In March, 1947. and which
had impelled Gen. Marshall to call
for $500, 900 900 for the Is West
ern European nations-and the
western zones of Germany-during
the next II months.
The underlying reason for this
vast expenditure for Europe-which
Gen. Marshall has termed q cal
culated risk"-was the substantiated
belief that American aid in the
economic recovery of the countries
in Russia's path-and, If necessary
political and military backing as
well-was the best answer to Mos
cows expansionist drive.
Yet, what is sauce for the goose
apparently is not sauce for the
gander.
Secret Memo Read
In a secret memorandum sent to
Congress on June II the Secretary
Of State formally opposed throwing
the American taxpayers good
money down the Chinese "rathole.' y
Witnesses for the Government
including Army Secretary Royal
testified in executive sessions that
members of Congress have the priv
ilege of appropriating money fol
whomever they choose. But, he said
the considered opinion Of the ad-
ministration was that China in
evitably would be taken over by the
Communists, and any interference
by this Government not only would
cost money, but also would affect
greatly our prestige in Asia.
Some military experts, who until
recently were strong advocates OF
aiding Nanking, have changed their
views, repeatedly under instructions
from higher up. The White House
itself, which in the past was strong
ly in favor of helping China to
prevent establishment of Soviet
sponsored government over its 400
100000 people, now has veered to
Gen. Marshalrs view.
Royal Unsuccessful
Since the Secretary Of State, whose
prestige with the Chief Executive
is greater than that Of any other
cabinet oficer, was 80 determined
to see all assistance withdrawn from
Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek's
government, Mr.. Royal was desig-
mated to torpedo the measure In
Congress-presumably with little
success. He
The vast majority Of American
people pay little attention to Asia,
which is twice as far from this
country as Europe. In the first
place, most Of US are descendants
of immigrants from Europe. We
know that 80 per cent of China's
millions are illiterate. We hear a
great deal about corruption and un-
reliability Of officials. Our public
also has been accustomed to read
only spectacular news from China.
But today China is vitally important
from the strategic angle.
IMacArthur's Views
Gen. Macarthur, who admittedly
rs our foremost expert on Far EaSt-
ern military problems, communi-
Gated his views to certain important
persons after he turned down the
invitation of the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee to testify in con-
nection with the European Recovery
Program. He emphasized without
qualification that the preservation
of China outside the Russian orbit
was one Of this country's essential
strategic moves.
The generals job in Japan Is
practically completed. But the
newly established Japanese democ.
racy cannot survive unless China,
sovereignty is preserved. From the
economic point of view she cannot
exist in years to come without con.
tinually sponging on the United
States, unless she has access te
Chinas economic resources, prin.
cipally in Manchuria.
An economic agreement between
the Tokyo and Nanking govern
ments can be reached after a peace
treaty with Japan has been signed
But If the major portions OF Chini
fall to the Communists, Japan vii
have to deal with a Moscow-spon.
sored and controlled government
whose price for those raw materials
will be the political subjection Of
Japan to the Moscow masters.
! Gen. Macarthur is said to have
/ l7 D-ll,~,