Evening star., 1949-03-24
Move Seen for Pacts
To Defend Near East
And Southern Asia
by the Associated Press

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=. BY the Associated Press
Proposals for the United States
to support some new non-Com-
munist defense pacts are expected
here as soon as the North At
1antic treaty is out of the way.
Diplomatic authorities said to-
day that so far two alliance sys-
TENS have been informally talked
about and appear most likely to
receive serious consideration
These are:
l. An Eastern Mediterranean
Near Eastern treaty, based on
Iran, Turkey and Greece and de-
signed to provide greater degree
Of security in that strategic area
Of the world.
2. A Southeast Asian-South-
west Pacific system designed to
provide some kind of machinery
to deal with the growing threat
resulting from Communist Sue
cesses In China.
Only in Idea Stage.
So far the possibility Of new
international organizations along
these lines is only in the idea
stage, at least as far as Washing
ton is concerned. But once the
Senate discussion of the Atlantic
Pact is over, authorities are sure
much more will be heard of them.
Abroad, proposals for an East
ern Mediterranean pact have been
more fully developed. Both the
Greek and Turkish Foreign Min
1sters have discussed the idea with
British Foreign Minister Bevin. It
Is possible that Mr.. Bevin and
Secretary of State Acheson may
take up the subject when the At
lantic pact foreign ministers
gather here late next week for the
signing of their treaty.
MIR. Acheson told a news con-
ference yesterday he would talk
with the visiting foreign ministers
about any subjects they wanted to
take up with him.
Atlantic Pact First Problem.
President Truman will send the
Atlantic treaty to the Senate
shortly after it is signed. Com
mittee hearings and Senate de-
bate could then run into several
weeks. On the theory of taking
up and settling one major issue
at a time, the State Department
has been anxious not to let the
Atlantic treaty become compli-
Gated with other similar projects.
Failure of the United Nations to
provide security for the Atlantic
powers and other general argu-
ments in favor of the Atlantic al
lance, foreign diplomats say, have
added to the conviction of non
Communist governments outside
this region that they should seek
comparable projections.
American officials will face two
major questions In trying to make
policy decisions on these other
defense groupings.
q. s. Support One Question.
One is whether the United
States should actively favor, and
in some manner support them.
The other question is whether the
United States should actually join
other regional defense systems in
addition to the inter american
organization to which 1t already
belongs and the Atlantic alliance
which it now proposes to enter.
Uneasiness on the part Of
Turkey, and Iran particularly. Is
understood to have been at least
part of the reason why Mr.. Ache
son on two recent occasions has
emphatically reasserted the con-
Germ of the United States over the
continued independence of Iran,
Turkey and Greece. He reafirmed
United States policy on this point
at his news conference yesterday
and in a speech he made Friday
night explaining the Atlantic
treaty.
With respect to the Pacific area,
other officials say that the prob
lem is far more complicated. They
point to the Dutch-1ndonesian
conflict and the problems arising
out of the breakdown Of the old
colonial system which has not yet
been replaced by new political
systems subscribed to by all the
peoples of the area. The unity
characteristic Of Western Europe
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