Evening star., 1948-09-12
Our Unity and the Kremlin

Nothing could have been more timely
and to the point than Senator Vanden-
berg's statement on American unity in face
of the current grave crisis between Russia
and the West. What 1t amounts to is q
firm assurance to our friends abroad, and
a solemn warning to our potential enemies.
that both major parties, backed over
whelmingly by the people Of the United
States, will continue to see eye to eye on
the essentials of our foreign policy, ire
spective Of the presidential campaign or
the election returns in November.
Mr.. Vandenberg has issued the state
ment in his capacity as Chairman Of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee after
consultation with Governor Dewey, the
Republican presidential candidate, and
with John Foster Dulles, one of our dele
gates to the United Nations and Mr..
Dewey's chief adviser on international
affairs. This lends particular significance
and authority to Mr.. Vandenbergs words.
In effect, he has served notice on the world
that the leadership of his party is basically
at one with the Democrats in what Is
being done now in an effort to safeguard
America by building decent peace.
In other words, the fundamentals of our
foreign policy are genuinely bipartisan. AS
Mr. Vandenberg has put it, that policy is
simply Ito protect American rights every
where and through firmness in the right
to seek peace for ourselves and the other
peace-loving peoples of the world" More
specifically, it is policy on which the
great mass of our citizenry-Democratic
and Republican alike-stands united
against aggression and against the foes of
freedom" On this point, as Mr.. Vanden-
berg has said, there should be no mis-
understanding abroad, even though in the
weeks Immediately ahead both major
parties may engage in sharp debate on
some of the Governments past methods
in dealing with international problems.
All this is bound to have salutary
effect As far as the free Western world
is concerned, there need be no serious
doubts or fears that the substance of
American foreign policy will undergo any
change if Mr.. Dewey is elected in Novem-
ber, as now seems probable. AS for the
Russians, If they are as realistic as they
are sometimes reported to be, they will
take Mr. Vandenberg's statement at face
value; they will think long and hard about
it; they will not be misled by the tatterde-
malion, Communist-inflltrated Wallace
minority into supposing that there is any
division of consequence in this country
over policies aimed against aggression
and against the foes Of freedom"
To the vast majority of the American
people, it has long since become clear that
the only major obstacle to good peace
in the world today is the fact that the
Russians have adopted a policy Of direct
and indirect aggression and have repeat
edly demonstrated that they are foes of
freedom. Accordingly, our public opinion
leaving aside the small minority of Com
munists, fellow travellers, lackwits and
members of the lunatic fringe-firmly sup
ports all current policies designed to pro-
mote the security of the United States by
strengthening our democratic friends
abroad in a great common endeavor to
keep the Red totalitarians from overthrow
ing Western civilization and dominating
the world.
At the moment, that endeavor has
reached what appears to be critical show
down stage in Berlin. The Russians may
or may not be bluffing, but whether they
are or not, they would be we'll advised to
make no mistake about our own determi-
nation to stay where we are with Britain
and France and to resist any new aggres-
sive moves. The Vandenberg statement
should be read and re-read with special
care in the Kremlin. It means what it
says. Politics Notwithstanding, America is
united against letting the Stain dictator
ship run beserk any longer.