Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-05-23

AcGlO0 OF Inc Seudte CNcaeu
in unanimously approving . declar'
States to the principle Of military
the prospects Of legislative action b
dent to detail military and naval m
A measure to accomplish this
the House and both the Department
of State and the Department Of De-
tense have this week informed the
Senate Armed Services Committee
that they urgently favor completion
Of Congressional action before the
Congress adjourns this summer.
For some months past the proposal
has lain dormant in the Senate
committee because of opposition or
reluctance on the part Of some OF
the committee members to vest such
discretionary authority In the Chief
Executive. The developing temper
of the Senate as reflected In the
Foreign Relations Committee &C
ton. however. may be paralleled by
change of position within the
Armed Services Committee.
At the present time the President
has such statutory authority only
with respect to requests from the
American republics and the Philip
pine Republic. Under temporary
war powers only the Chief Executive
likewise has such authority for
countries outside the Western Henri
sphere but expiration Of such emer-
gency circumstances would leopard
lie continuance Of existing missions
In other countries and might pre-
clude consideration Of additional
foreign requests.
Two Now in Iran
Two American missions are now
functioning in Iran under the war
time authority and special legisla-
tive action has provided for mis-
sions now in China, Greece and
Turkey. Recent consideration OF
the pending legislation has been
directed principally to the Amer
lean interests and strategic i'm
portance OF the Middle and Far
East and the House Armed Services
Committee made the following COM
ment in recommending approval:
Developments during the course
Of World War II have emphasized
the strategic Importance of the
Near and Middle and Far East re-
gions, the component countries OF
which are in q state Of intense polit-
ical, social and economic readjust-
ments. Many Of them need educa-
tional and technical assistance to
increase their stability and security.
The committee feels 1t would be IN
the national interest to comply with
the requests which have been re-
ceived by this Government from
some of these countries for as
sistance in the form Of military and
naval missions to enable them to
maintain international security"
Whether this reasoning and re-
ouirement will remain valid in view
Of the degree to which the American
position in the Middle East has
been jeopardized by our policy. or
policies, on the Palestine problem
is uncertain. From q long-range
viewpoint, however, the authorizing
legislation is still desired.
The practice Of sending American
missions to assist foreign govern
ments and peoples, at their request,
is not a new one. In the face OF the
troubled world conditions Of today
and in particular of our commit
ment to q policy Of aiding in the
stabilizing of the anti Communist
governments it does not seem log
+ical that such practice should be
abandoned.
While the brightest spotlight OF
publicity currently is being played
on the work Of the American mis-
sions in Greece, Turkey and China
a significantly grim international
dispute is being waged over the ma
ture and purpose of our missions
now in Iran. The attacker, as In
other instances, is the Soviet gov
eminent, with Henry A. wallace
third-party candidate for President
following a similar line OF criticism
in this country.
In actuality, the two missions tota
less than so American military per-
sonnet, both are in Iran at request
of the Teheran government and the
continued presence Of either or both
may be terminated on short notice
by either the Iranian or United
States governments.
Agreements on Record
The first Of these to be formalizee
by executive agreement is a mission