Evening star., 1949-08-21

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Warning signals prior to the
in the form of renewed verbal p.
spearheaded by Republican law
makers, and the slicing OF Mar
shall Plan appropriations.
Moreover, the Republican sym
boil of bipartisan cooperation OF
foreign affairs, Senator Vanden
berg of Michigan, has shown def
mite restiveness over the ten
dency of the White House to lie
him carry the foreign policy bal
on the other side of the aisl'
without making him privy to it
inner-circle planning. His at
titude became known when n
made critical estimate Of arms
aid program, making no secret O
his belief that it had been mis-
managed from the start by th'
administration. And he let it b'
understood that the White Hous'
had failed to take him into it
confidence in advance.
Annoyed by Faulty Timing
Diehard isolationists and othe,
sincere critics of our foreign
policy, including United Nations
supporters who feel that excessive
militarism and fear are driving
East and West into inevitable
catastrophe. have provided fol-
years a sort of loyal opposition
to the bipartisan effort. Thell
voices have had little effect.
But the new rumble of dis
sension is significant because tht
muted noise comes from the camp
of bipartisan supporters. Not only
Senator Vandenberg. but Repub-
lcians like Lodge, Smith and late
ly Dulles are said to be increas-
ingly critical of administration
faulty timing in handling foreign
issues, and of its apparent un-
willingness to give the Republi-
cans full credit for past bipartisan
cooperation. The schism was
aggravated when the Democrats
after their campaign victory last
year, sliced minority representa-
ton on the vital Senate Foreign
Relations Committee.
With congressional elections
coming up next year, a further
breach in the bipartisan ranks
may be expected. Senator Taft,
with an eye on the Ohio election
in 1850 and a possible presiden-
tial nomination two years later,
has swiftly come to the fore as a
critic of foreign implementation
measures, challenging the Senate
COP leadership of Senator Van
denberg in the internatio field.
May Hold Off Scuttling
Senator Taft and many Of his
colleagues are economy minded.
They are opposed to swollen mill
tary budgets and to tax increases,
and their opposition has increased
in inverse ratio to the slackening,
during the past six months, OF in
ternational tension and war
psychology" Nor did they over
look the statement of Senator
Dulles, during debate on the At
lantic pact a few weeks ago, that
at the Paris peace" conference
earlier this year. the United States
delegation had before it proposal
to create an artificial state OF
alarm in this country as a piece
of maneuvering.
But If Taft g. Co. have become
disenchanted with the rush of
events. they may still be expected
to go slow In deliberately scuttline
the bipartisan front. For one thing
they are we'll aware Of the argu-
ment that any weakening in the
bipartisan nature of our foreign
policy would give great comfort to
the Soviet Union. For another,
they would be loath, from a poll
tical point Of view, to take the re-
sponsibility for the defeat Of any
implementation measure described
as essential by the President in
the global fight against commu-
nism. Conversely the Republicans
being human, naturally want to
share credit for United States for
eign policy If that policy, in the
test of time, turns out to have
been a wise one.
There are those, indeed, who
believe that however lofty the
concept of bipartisanship in for
eign affairs may be. practical pol
itics entered the picture the mo-
ment World War II had ended.
With great hue and cry being
made over communism, so this
explanation goes, the admins
tration sought to rid itself of ac-
cusations of "softness" toward
Russia by launching its get
tough" policy. The Republicans,
mindful of the electorate, pitched
in with surprising fervor. This
contest in anti-communism, it is
said, was and Is visible on the
domestic scene as well as the
international arena.
Such a pat point Of view. OF
course, overlooks the significant
foreign developments that spanked
our bipartisan foreign program.
War Brought Unity
In tracing the nonparitsar
course of that program as a pos
sible guidepost to the future, il
Is worth noting that the United
States was mired in isolationisn
less than a decade ago. With thu
exception Of a few bitter lenders
isolationists are now almost a,
extinct as the dodo. Uncle San
currently is cast in an unprece.
dented global role, and the fu.
ture seems sure to bring mount
ing clashes over the direction ant
details of that role, but never 1
return to ostrichlike isolationism.
This break away from isola.
tiorisn ref1ectS a change of heart