Evening star., 1949-03-19
Text of Secretary Achesons Address on North Atlantic A

necessary, in this era of popular
education and highly developed
communications, to deal with al
legations which have no relation to
the truth and could not stand even
the crudest test of measurement
against realities.
No Plans to Make War
I refer here to the allegations
that this treaty conceals aggres-
sive designs on the part of its au-
thors with respect to other countries.
Any one with the most elementary
knowledge of the processes OF
democratic government knows that
democracies do not, and cannot
plan aggressive wars. But for those
from whom such knowledge may
have been withheld I must make
the following categoric and un-
equivocal statement, for which I
stand with the full measure of my
responsibility in the Office hold:
This country is not planning to
make war against anyone. 1t is not
seeking war. 1t abhors war. 1t
does not hold war to be inevitable.
Its policies are devised with the
specific aim of bridging by peaceful
means the tremendous differences
which beset international society at
the present time.
Allegations that aggressive de-
signs lie behind this country's sig
nature of the Atlantic Pact can
rest only on q malicious misrepre-
sentation or a fantastic misunder-
standing of the nature and aims
of American society.
This treaty is designed to- help
toward the goal envisioned by
President Truman when he said:
". AS our stability becomes
manifest, as more and more nations
come to know the benefits Of
democracy and to participate in
growing abundance, I believe that
those countries which now oppose
us will abandon their delusions and
join with the free nations of the
world in just settlement of in
ternational differences"
Peace Is Positive.
To bring that time to pass, we
are determined, on the one hand,
to make it unmistakably clear that
immediate and effective counter
measures will be taken against
those who violate the peace, and
on the other, to wage peace vigor-
ously and relentlessly.
Too often peace has been thought
Of as a negative condition-the
mere absence of war. We know now
that we cannot achieve peace by
taking a negative attitude. Peace
is positive, and it has to be waged
with all our thought. energy and
courage, and with the conviction
that war is not inevitable.
Under the leadership OF President
Truman, the United States is
waging peace with vigor and on
a scale without precedent While
the war was being fought, this
country took the initiative in the
organization of the United Nations
and related agencies for the coi-
lective and cooperative conduct of
international affairs. We withdrew
our military forces. except those
required for occupation duties, and
quickly reduced our military es-
tablishment to about one-tenth its
wartime size. We contributed gen.
erously to postwar relief and re-
Mobilization.
When events called for firm
ness as we'll as generosity. the
United States waged peace by
pledging its aid to free nations
threatened by aggression. and took
prompt and vigorous action to full
I'LL that pledge. We have actively
sought and are actively seeking to
make the United Nations an effec-
tive instrument Of international CO.
operation. We proposed, and with
the eager cooperation of is other
nations, put into effect a great con-
certed program for the economic
recovery and spiritual reinvigora-
tion of Europe. We joined the other
American republics, and We now join
with Western Europe, in treaties to
strengthen the United Nations and
insure international peace and Sc
curity.
World Trade Expansion.
The United States is waging
peace by promoting measures for
the revival and expansion Of world
trade on a sound and beneficial
basis. We are preparing to carry
out an energetic program to apply
modern skills and techniques to
what President Truman has called
the primitive and stagnant' econo-
mics of vast areas, so that they will
yield better and richer life for
their people.
The United States IS vaging
peace by throwing its full strength
and energy into the struggle, and
we shall continue to do so.
We sincerely hope we can avoid
strife. but we cannot avoid striving
for what is right. We devoutly hope
we can have genuine peace, but we
cannot be complacent about the
present uneasy and troubled peace.
A secure and stable peace is not
q goal we can reach all at once
and for all time. 1t is a dynamic
state produced bv effort and faith. |
with justice and courage. The
struggle is continuous and hard.
The prize is never irrevocably ours.
To have this genuine peace we
must make it clear that armed at
tack will be met by collective de-
fense, prompt and effective. /
That is the meaning of the North
Atlantic pact. o,