Evening star., 1949-02-17
Appeal to the People

1t is beginning TO look as thOugn Lne
President may be forced to a difficult
decision in the budding clash with the
Senate over the nature of the commitment
which this country would make in the
proposed North Atlantic pact.
Secretary of State AcheSon is endeavor-
ing to minimize the seriousness of the
difference which seems to be building up,
and it is right that he should do so. For
the best way by far to settle this matter,
if it can be done, is to reach an amicable
agreement with the Senate on language
in the pact which would evidence the firm
intention of the United States to make
it's full contribution to a North Atlantic
partnership against aggression.
It is not particularly reaSSuring, how
ever, to have Mr.. Acheson say that there
are no real differences with regard to the
objectives" which are being sought through
this North Atlantic pact. The real OBJ
jectives are security and peace, and nobody
in the Senate is opposed to either. But
it is obvious that there are differences
as to method, and method can be all
important.
If the method to be adopted is to be
grounded on the notion that we can be
safe from aggression without accepting
any commitment, legal or moral, to fight
against aggression should need arise, then
the strong probability is that we will have
neither security nor peace. This is
matter on which we ought to get right
down to brass tacks. We should remember
the tragic spectacle of the fumbling and
timidity which prevented Europe from
organizing in time against the menace of
Hitler's aggression. And we must under
stand that it will be equally impossible for
the free nations of the North Atlantic
community to organize now against the
threat of Communist aggression unless the
members of that community, including
ourselves, are prepared to accept the
responsibilities and risks that go with
organization.
1t takes time to organize and prepare.
It cannot be done in any effective fashion
after aggression begins. And it will never
be done if the United States, through
blind timidity or simple wrong -headedness.
finally takes the position that it will
assume no military commitment of any
kind. If we do that, we will once again
be missing the chance for peace.
: In his inaugural address, the President
said: "The primary purpose of these
agreements the North Atlantic and the
Rio pacts) is to provide unmiStakable
proof of the joint determination of the
free countries to resist armed attack from
any quarter. Each country participating
in these arrangements must contribute
all it can to the common defense And
the President added this important
thought: "If we can make it sufficiently
clear. in advance, that any armed attack
affecting our national security would be
met with overwhelming force, the armed
attack might never occur"
We will not provide the unmistakable
proof of which the President spoke if we
go into North Atlantic pact refusing to
accept any commitment to fight. Nor, if
this is to be our attitude, will we be
contributing all we can to the common
defense.
It is vitally important that there be no
surrender on these points. If the Pres
ident can come to agreement with the
Senate on language which embodies his
thinking, we'll and good. But if this
cannot be done, if agreement can be
reached only at the price of language
which would water the proposed treaty
down to the point where it would be
meaningless, then the President might be
we'll advised to take his case to the people.
Given the existing state of the world,
it is not unreasonable to believe that
opportunity for peace may be knocking
for the last time. If we fail to organize
effectively now against war there may
never be another chance. 1t is quite
possible that the people of the country
understand this better than do the
Senators who seem more afraid of a
commitment than of war itself. 1t is
quite possible that the people place more
value upon the lives of their sons than
upon this matter of national sovereignty
which seems to trouble the Senators so
greatly. And it is also quite possible that
the President would get the support he
needs if he were to go to the people and
put the stark facts before them.