Evening star., 1948-06-29
Mr.. Dewey Should Be In on 1t

If the Russians are determined to con-
tinue their food blockade of the Anglo
French American sectors of Berlin, the
United States, together with Britain and
France, soon will have to decide either to
withdraw from the city or resort to
countermeasures of a kind that could
conceivably lead to fateful military
showdown.
This is a situation in which any decision
taken by our Government must have un-
mistakable bipartisan support to be ef1ec-
tive. Winston Churchill has likened the
issues involved to those at stake during the
Munich crisis ten years ago. At that time,
because of the Vests indecision appease-
ment and division, Czechoslovakia was
lost and the way opened for Hitler's march
of conquest Today, unless France, Britain
and the United States follow strong
concerted policy, the outcome OF the Berlin
blockade may mean the eventual Soviet
ization of all Germany - possibility
making the unity Of the Western Powers
imperative. And that unity, in turn, must
be based on solid Democratic Republican
front in this country.
What makes such q front an urgent
requirement is the fact that next January
Governor Thomas E. Dewey may be
President of the United States, which
means he and the Republican Party he
heads may be in full control of both the
legislative and executive branches of our
Government. As far as the rest of the
world is concerned, therefore, every inter-
national step taken in the meantime by
the Democratic Truman administration
will be subject to serious elecuon-year
doubts and uncertainties unless a special
bipartisan effort is made to demonstrate
to all our friends abroad, and to all our
potential enemies, that the vote in Novem-
ber-no matter who wins-will not in the
least change the substance of any major
American foreign policy decision that may
be reached now.
1t is obvious that the Berlin situation,
unless suddenly eased by the Russians, will
call for such a decision. On the face of
things, withdrawal seems unlikely, for
it would be viewed as bowling abjectly to
the Kremlin and paving the way for Red
totalitarianism throughout Germany as
the prelude to a Sovietized Europe. But
the alternative-an unyielding resolve to
remain in the former German capita-has
its perils, too. In concert with France and
Britain, the United States can put the
strongest diplomatic pressure on the
Moscow government through direct pro-
tests and through action in the United
Nations If this does not end the blockade,
however, what then? If we still refuse to
be pushed out of the city, how can the
more than 100000 Berliners in the
western sectors be saved from starvation
short of Anglo French readiness
to use force to get food through?
The fact that we are confronted with
situation of this kind at time when we
are faced with the possibility-if not the
probability-of an early change in Presi-
dents makes bipartisan action doubly
necessary. Accordingly, whatever the
decision OF our Government is to be. there
is every reason why Mr.. Dewey and his
foreign-policy advisers should be in on 1t
in one way or another. Whether through
formal consultation or not, simple common
sense would seem to require steps by
President Truman to insure their full
public support of the course to be followed
in countering the Soviet blockade.
without some such bipartisan CO.
operation in this election year, a common
Western front will be difficult to maintain.
To be sure of themselves in dealing with
the German problem, France and Britain
must first be sure of just where the United
States stands Despite the political cam
paign, key Democratic and Republican
leaders should be as one in making our
position clear. There should be no doubt
whatever about it in the minds of our
friends abroad. Least Of all, should there
be any doubt about it in the Kremlin.