Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-08-08
The Problem of Asia

its last legs and the Communists are on
their way to taking over the whole of
China, one of the gravest challenges con-
fronting the United States and the rest of
the free world is the problem of working
out an affirmative policy and program
calculated to prevent Kremlin-inSpired
Red subversion and aggression elsewhere
in Asia.
The threat involved is a real one.
Assuming that the Communists will be
able to maintain a firm grip on China
long enough to sovietize 1t and convert it
into a strong Russian satellite, the whole
of Asia will be rendered vulnerable to the
same fate. In a long-term sense, what
this raises is the grim possibility that a
vast land mass, populated by nearly
billion human beings and stretching all
the way from the KoreaJapan area down
to and including India, may eventually
not overnight, but eventually-come under
the dominance of the Kremlin. Such
development, obviously, would dangerously
weaken the position of our own and other
free nations in the world balance of power
But the possibility is not yet a prob
ability, and panicky reaction to 1t would
the situation is to be assessed with sense
OF perspective, certain important actuali-
ties and imponderables must be kept in
mind. The most significant single actuality
is that Asia, in terms of skilled manpower
and industrial resources, is likely to remain
weak and second-rate in relation to
the Western world for a long time to come.
AS for the imponderables, the Far East,
with its polyglot population and its wide
variety of ancient and deep-rooted cul-
lures, PHILOSOPHERS and religions, does not
lend itself readily to the control of any
one power.
For example, there is some ground for
belief, as Secretary .Acheson has said, that
ultimately the profound civilization and
the democratic individualism of China"
will throw off the foreign yoke of the
Communists The latter may find the
country much too much to handle, or they
may become rebelious and independent
mavericks like Tito's Yugoslavs. Beyond
that, it is by no means inconceivable that
If Russia is decisively defeated in the cold
war in European area which is stra-
logically far more crucial at this stage
than predominantly agricultural Asia
the outlook across the Pacific will auto
matically brighten for the United States
and the entire free world
These reservations to one side however,
it would be reckless in the extreme for
anybody to minimize the gravity of the
current situation or look upon it in
complacent, do-nothing, or hope for the
best spirit. 1t may well be that Asias
actualities and imponderables will combine
to shatter whatever dreams the Kremlin
may be dreaming, but common sense eau
ton demands that we assume otherwise
and act accordingly. This means that the
United States, in concert with other free
nations must take the lead in developing
new policy and new measures of posi-
tive nature to cope with the dangers in
herent in Communist control of China.
Secretary Acheson has already outlined
general approach to the problem He
believes that we should encourage develop
ments within China to help the country
save itself from being sovietized. He has
also made clear, in kind of forewarning
to Russia, that if China's Reds, acting as
the Kremlin's agents, attempt aggression
against neighboring countries, the United
States will do something concrete about it,
starting with action in the United Nations.
Further than that, he has reaffirmed
traditional American policy in relation to
Chinese freedom and independence and
the security and well-being of Asia as a
whole
But all this amounts to little more than
the vague articulation of policy and q
program of action. What needs to be done
now-through such agencies as the new
group organized by the State Department
to deal with the problem of Asia-is to
put flesh on Mr.. Acheson's generalities
and make them effective The task will
not be easy. 1t will involve risks and
costs. But we cannot run away from it
without at the same time inviting Russia
to take over vital and enormously
populous region of the world.