Evening star., 1948-03-18
We Must Act Now

The most significant phrase in the Pres
ident's message to Congress is this:
"It is of vital Importance that we act
now y"
The note Of urgency in the Presidents
words is real For the danger is pressing
in upon us and we have little time left
in which to come to our decision.
There are but two choices open. One
is to sit back and do nothing. It is
unthinkable that we should choose this
course For to do so would mean that all
of Europe and Asia will fall into the
hands of Soviet Russia. If that happens
we will stand alone in the world, weaker
relatively than we are today. And when
the hour of battle comes. as come 1t most
assuredly would, our chances of surviving
would be greatly impaired.
The alternative Is to act And If we are
to act effectively we must act now.
OF course, this is easier said than done.
For while most Americans want to act in
the face of danger which threatens, there
is little agreement on the form of action.
This is the weakness that is inherent in
our political system. It is the one thing
LlldG IL UlUSG dpG W NC Jul ullNoA1S. L VI
time is slipping away, and if we permit
ourselves to become begged down in an
argument over one course Of action as
against another course, we shall wake up
before many days have passed to discover
that it is too late to act at all.
! The President has asked Congress to do
three things - to speed action on the
Marshall Plan, to adopt universal training
and to provide for the temporary re-
He has not tried to sugarcoat the pill by
pretending that these things are all that
are needed, or that they are the last for
which he will ask. They constitute, in his
candid words, only the most urgent steps"
toward securing peace and preventing war.
For asking even this much the President
will be savagely attacked. His motives will
be challenged and his integrity questioned.
We have to expect this from the Henry
Wallaces, and there is no use appealing to
them on any ground Of national interest,
for their minds are closed. It ought to
be possible, however, to appeal to those
others who have misgivings, but whose
minds are open.
The appeal must come essentially from
the logic Of the situation, and the logic is
dictated by the facts. Mr.. Truman has
put the facts on the record, and the
record is perfectly clear.
The Russians have proved faithless to
one solemn agreement after another. This
list of small countries which have been
taken over is long. The most recent was
Czechoslovakia. Now Finland Is under the
gun and, as the President says, the entire
Scandinavian peninsula is threatened. The
struggle for Italy is reaching its climax,
and if Italy goes, Greece and Turkey will
60, too.
We can stop this process If we will only
make up our minds to stop it. But we
will never make up our minds in time II
we permit squabble over details to blind
us to the main chance. Mr.. Truman has
put definite program before Congress.
1t can be said without exaggeration that
our whole hope for the future turns on
the question of whether Congress will act
on the program in the spirit Of these lines
from the Presidents message:
There are times in world history when
it is far wiser to act than to hesitate
There is some risk involved in action
there always is. But there is far more
risk in failure to act"