Evening star., 1949-04-04
Mr.. Trumon's Greet Role

1t would be unbecoming on this historic
day of signature of the North Atlantic
Security Pact not to take particular notice
of the great role which has been played
by President Truman in recasting the
foreign policy of the United States.
We have come long way since George
Washington admonished a struggling
young nation against permanent alliances,
since Thomas Jefferson spoke out against
entangling alliances, since James Monroe
enunciated the policy which bears his
name and which served thereafter for
more than a century as the guiding star
of our foreign policy. We have seen great
powers come and 60 Through the proc
esses of age and decay in other parts of
the globe rather than through any design
of our own, we have seen the United States
rise to the pinnacle of world power. Finally
came the time when we had to decide
what use would be made of our power,
whether in the face of new world ag
gression we would shackle ourselves with
the remnants Of the old isolationist tradi-
tion, or whether we would move forth
boldly in an endeavor to employ our power
to prevent another war rather than fight
1t after 1t had begun.
The man who had to make that decision
was Harry S. Truman, newly come to the
White House through the accident Of the
death of his predecessor. For man
fixed with the ultimate responsibility, 1t
was no easy decision to make. Certainly
there were grave risks involved, but Mr..
Truman saw very clearly that 1t was not a
question of accepting or avoiding risks, but
of choosing between risks. And it is to his
everlasting credit that he chose the risk
which went along with the assumption
of responsibility. He decided that the
immense power of the United States
should be used aff1rmatively in the in
terests of a decent world, and it may very
we'll be that the whole hope of Western
civilization rides on that decision.
OF course, other men contributed to the
grand design. General Marshall and
Senator Vandenberg we're, conspicuous
among them But in the last analysis
it was the President who had the respon-
sibility who made the decision and who
Is entitled to the credit. The Rio Pact,
which changed the Monroe Doctrine from
unilateral to a reciprocal undertaking,
was followed by the Truman Doctrine Of
extending financial and military aid to
Greece and Turkey so that they could
resist the threatyofa communism. Then
came The European Recovery Program,
without which Western Europe could not
have survived as a non Communist COM
munity Today it is the North Atlantic
Pact, which, with the attendant arms
agreement, spells the end of American
isolation Ahead, still uniformed but rich
with promise, lies Point Four of the in
augural address, program for applying
American skill and American resources to
the resuscitation of the backward areas
Of the world.
What history will say of the man who
has fathered this unprecedented under.
taking, where he will be ranked among
the American Presidents, can best be left
to the historians. But If the desired
results are achieved If aggressive COM
munism is turned back, If the peace is
saved, If the consummate disaster of
another war Is averted, we of this gen.
Grafton will at least know that once again,
in time of great need, the American
system has produced President who
had the wisdom and the courage to make
the right decision and the strength of
character to act upon it,