Evening star., 1949-07-17


pushers" who represented us
abroad.
During World War II, and par
ticularly while Cordell Hull was
Secretary of State, relations be-
tween the Senate and the State
Department improved substantial
ly. The former Senator from
Tennessee, who became President
Roosevelts Secretary of State,
convinced his colleagues in the
Senate that the era of striped
trousers and pink teas was over
and that the men in the field
were doing a difficult job under
frequently adverse circumstances
Moreover, Mr.. Hull believed i'm
plicitly in the right of Senators
to be fully informed about major
international dealings with the
Government. If. during the war
he frequently disappointed his
former colleagues by not telling
them what happened at important
conferences, the fault was not his.
Bipartisan Policy
The Inauguration of the bipar-
tisan foreign policy in the Senate
was the work of the former Secre-
tary of State. 1t led outsiders to
believe that the Senate was being
consulted by the President. AS
matter of fact. its top members
like Senator Vandenhurg were
simply informed of certain diplo-
matte steps, after decisions had
been made. Because of the bi-
partisan pledge, the consulted
Senators went along with the de-
cisions already reached.
Since Dean Acheson became
Secretary of State. relations be-
tween Congress and the State
Department once more have be-
come strained. The House. which
in the past had little to say about
foreign affairs, recently has be-
come more important because our
diplomacy now is based on lavish
expenditures which have to be
approved by the House as we'll as
the Senate.
The trouble between the legisla
tive branch Of the Government
and the new chief of the State
Department basically is due to 9
feeling among large number Of
Congressman that Mr.. Achesor
has dictatorial tendencies in the
handling Of foreign affairs.
Truman Gives Free Hand
As for President Truman, he
holds a different philosophy thar
President Roosevelt held witt
respect to the members Of the
cabinet. Mr.. Truman has such
complete confidence in the men OF
his choice that he gives them an
absolutely free hand to do what
ever they think best. even If he
personally doubts the wisdom of
their actions.
Mr.. Acheson unquestionably is one
Of the most brilliant Secretaries of
State we have had In many years.
Since he took over the conduct of
our international affairs-in vir-
tual single-handed control - two
problems have arisen: Cd The
Chinese tragedy and (2) the
blunders in our policy toward
Spain.
Neither of these problems are
of his own making. He inherited
the Chinese situation from his
predecessor. Gen. Marshall, while
the Spanish problem is sequel to
the resolution adopted by the
United Nations in November. 1916.
Supported Chinese Nationals
1t is we'll known in Washington
that when Mr.. Truman became
President in April, 1945, he was
poorly informed on our commit
ments abroad. The only question
he had had an opportunity to
study personally was the Chinese
situation. He sent Gen. Marshall
to China as his special Ambassa-
dor because he believed he was
the only man who could represent
him properly. But even after
Gen. Marshall, who later became
his Secretary Of State. adopted a
definitely antagonistic policy to-
ward the Nationalist regime of
Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek,
Mr.. Truman continued to believe
that it was to our interest to sal
wage the Nationalist regime and
to prevent. with all means at our
disposal, the dangerous advance
of communism in China.
In this view he was fully sup
ported by a large number of men,
bers of Congress Of both parties.
who showed their interest in the
Chinese problem by voting-on
their own initiative and against
the views Of the State Department
appropriations for military aid
to China as far back as December,
1916. 1t was Mr.. Truman. too
who personally ordered in October
1948-while he was on campaign
trip outside Washington-that
the 1ong-delayed shipments Of
military equipment to China be
expedited. The shipments started
moving in November.
After Mr.. Acheson became Sec
retary of State, it became evident
to the Senate that he was not
particularly interested in the views
of Senate and House members on
the matter of help to the tottering
Nationalist regime. And it was
easy for him to persuade Mr.. Tru-
man to keep clear of that situa-
ton, which he convinced him was
irremediable. His statement last
spring, that we must let the dust
settle in China before we can
decide what to do there, was the
clearest indication yet that he has
adopted a "do-nothing" policy.
The State Departments policy,