Evening star., 1949-06-19

hing harlrtssgatacr. ihrfV y
ample evidence thai kHe CnGsese se
Comm anlsts. under the leadership
Of Mac Tgr- tung received wss
supplies military advisers and In"
portanl equipment from the L :
s r and that this assistance ~as
40 great ~ 10 peFsnas Tire Rec
10 engage IN . ftall~Ssals
war. which nov threatens a, pat
the whole Of China behind Tire
Iron Curtain,
The Truman Doctrine, enacted
In is47 by Congress as a measure
OF active military support fei
Greece. MAS based on the fact that
the Greek Communists acre
threatening the established and
ofacially recognized national so'-
ernmenl al Athens. and that Rus.
sia'S indirect participation IN 'He
conflict. through It's satellites on
Greece northern border wRs
menacing Greece and the peace
OF the Mediterranean
Parallel in Greece
Military equipment and q ala
able American military mission ~
whose otYacers observed the OPP
erations OF The Greek National
Army at the front-wers dis
patched to Greece. The United
Nations also sent teams Of ooseFN- =
ers. representing both Western
and Eastern members OF the U N,
to find q solution 10 the Greek
civil war. The Greek var Vas q
struggle between the established
authority OF the Greek govern
ment and large Communist guer-
riIla forces which fought from
satellite territory north Of 0reece
The u. N. team failed In It's work
as was expected. because the Rus"
sian and satellite members op-
posed any solution favored by the
Western representatives, But We
continued~--and continue today
TO support materially and effec-
lively the efforts OF the forces OF
the Athens government. which the
Communists and liberals" in this
country describe as reaetionafy.
The similarity between the stu
ations In Greece and In China Is
inescapable. In China. too. the
Communists began with q Euer-
rtlia force proportionateiy as weak
as that which fought the Royal
government at Athens. But while
We did not hesitate 10 rush 10 ths
rescue OF the legal government ir
Greece as soon as the British in
formed us that they could not b.
responsible any longer for tina,
country. we delayed in China until
the Russians strengthened Their
stooges to the point that they wers
able TO overthrow the Nationalist
government.
Our action In Greece was predi-
Gated chiefly In the strategic idea
that We could not afford TO 80
Russia established. even indirectly
on the shores of the Eastern Medi-
terranean.
Prospects Unpleasant
The experts Of the defense es-
tablishment have expressed sirni-
lar views In regard TO China. They
have pointed out for some tims
that II We allow the Nationalist
forces TO collapse Russia woulc
take over not only the whole oi
China but the rest OF the Western
Pacific and Indian Ocean areas
They have untirinsiy pointed ouI
until recently-~wi1en the situatiof
appeared. even In their eyes. TO b
approaching hopelessness thu
very serious consequences not onl,
TO our national defense but als'
TO our economy OF the sosis
Union becoming the domtnan
power In the Far East
II requires no deep knowledg'
OF international affairs 10 reaiixa
that when we are denied access
to the important raw materiali
! of that vast territory and vher
Russia establishes her rule ovel
the. 100 900 900 persons Of tina
territory. our situation win be din
cult. indeed.
Yet. despite realization Of thes.
facts. very little has been done b.
our Government TO take a direct"
| Ing hand In the affairs OF the ex'
hausied KuonsintAng and 10 si
tempt 10 revive II In the same wa1
that We revived the Greek nationa
goyernment.
For forms sake We did send |
military mission 70 China. but tn
officers who comprised 1t had stric
orders TO stay away from the nsht'
ing units and 10 avoid ofisrins
either advice or assistance TO thu
weak and incompetent gensrali
vino led Chang Kai-shek's armies
Congress appropriated NOR
than sioo 900 900 for military sup
plies for China. but there was
lcng delay before thsy w~re &C
tuaily sent TO that country. wnef
the ships finally sailed from ths
West Coast In mid-Ncyember
fn4s. It rax too late In an,
event. only about ss per cent q
tire appropriations actually hai
been used In the purchase Of mill
tary supplies. The balance Ia sal
availabie.
Tragedy Asoidsbls
Our diplomats leaders eosssad'
cred the xtxe OF China ard ecr'
elu1ed that the task of sAisax.nl
anything important from II wai
beycnd our means. Th<y aias
were % devcted 70 the scea q
prsventanr eommunixm from max
I'M deeper inroads into Esarcp'
that they allowed the Krsmiin u
take what 10 considered b. sce'
csaissss ~ tsae nnst important re'
zion In the world.
The Chinese gsneTals. BY m
large, were corrupt and isscosn'
re4~yst Has nerrsdsax tc ere