The Nome nugget., 1948-03-10
Wednesday, March 10, 1948
Eyes Open In China
(BY Barnet NOVerl

SINCE V-J DAY, the United States has in one way or another spent 20O0 million dollars for the relief and rehabilitation of China.
 By stretch of the imagination 1t be argued that this aid has had constructive results The most that be said for is without it China and the Chinese people would be worse off than they are today
 The fact remains that China today is in utterly de- plorabe state
 The Chinese budget is fantaStically out of balance Receipts amount to than fourth and possibly than fifth of expenditures the balance being made up by steadily increasing flood of paper money
 Fully 80 per cent of the national governments eX- pendures being devoted to military purposes. Yet despite that vast outlay and despite the great quantities of equipment and munitions sent from the United States the forces unable to hold their in Manchuria It begins to look if they will lose their last precarious oothod in that rich and vital
 President Truman has proposed that Congress appropriate 57O million dollars for new aid to China
 The careful statement that accompanied this request makes it clear that the administration does not expect this refe to perform any miracles.
 The best that is hoped for is that through it I've assist in retarding the current economic deterioration and thus give the Chinese government further oppor unlty to initiate the measures necessary to the estab shment of more stable economic conditions"
 In other worlds the job of getting China back on her feet is, always has been job which the Chinese must primarily do themselves.
 We cannot do it for them and nobody else Even under the best of circumstances the and edited Shanghai Evening Post pointed out recently heping China is just about the hardest thorniest job
 
 The question arises whether in view of all that has happened the than 500 million dollars the admin istration asks Congress to appropriate Chnas behalf will not simply go down the drain the 2O0O million dollars that preceded it did in large part?
 Many Americans feel inclined to that ques- ton in the affirmative They feel that good purpose be served in aiding China unless and until Chiang cleans house thoroughly, which he has far shown himself incapable of doing perhaps unwilling to do
 This understandable attitude ignores very mpor- tan point however It ignores the fact that cannot wash hands of China treat her though she did not exist wait until with the glacial slowness that char acterzes Chinas evolution honest government dem- ocratc system incorruptibe bureaucracy an eff cient army arise in that land.
 Our present global commitments and the fact that the most important battle-ground of the cold war; today in Europe make it impossible for to do all that is sary China to prevent her collapse and with it the tension of Soviet power over a vast new of Asia.
 On the other hand regardless of the difficulties gardless of the wastes inevitably involved in the effort must do what we to help China Yet cannot for moment relax efforts to get the Chinese them selves to help themselves.
 It was thus coincidence that almost simultaneously with President Trumans message to Congress on China aid, Ambassador Leighton Stuart, at Nanking spoke with undplomatic blunness of the need for the elina- ton of corrupt and incompetent elements the Nation