Evening star., 1950-10-14
The Leqion's Resolution

There is no way of knowing the extent TO
which the more than 5000 delegates 10 tne
American Legion convention reflect the sentl-
ments of the nearly 100000 Legion members
If the attitude of the delegates is representative
of the membership however, it must be said that
the Legion's resolution condemning the State
Department, adopted with only negligible dissent
is an occasion for encouragement
Assailing the failure" of the State Depart
ment to deal adequately with the grim and
bloody advance of Communism throughout the
world" the resolution went on to say I'VE
submit that this failure is due fundamentally to
a lack of understanding of Communism itself,
and to refusal on the part of the Secretary OF
State to evauate properly the gravity OF the
dangers to America and all free peoples which
Communism represents"
Nothing is offered in substantlation OF this
sweeping contention. And there is nothing
substantial that can be offered 1t is true that
we have not dealt adequately with the advance
of Communism throughout the world, and If one
believes that this is responsibility OF the State
Department, then that agency may be indicted
on that score. But to say that the Secretary OF
State does not understand the nature OF Commu-
nism and that he has refused to eyaluate properly
the danger from it is a reckless accusation which,
in The Stars Judgment, is not only unsupported
by evidence, but one which flies directly in the
face of the evidence. Whatever may be said for
or against MIR. AcheSon he cannot justly be
accused of failing to understand Communism or
of indifference to its threat to us.
The resolution also deplores the presence in
the State Department of men well known to
possess Communist leanings and tendencies or
perhaps even Communist Party membership"
Here is the echo of Senator Mccarthy. No names,
no evidence. Just generalized catch-al indict-
ment of a key agency of the Government which
has been searched from top to bottom and
which has not been found to harbor even one
Communist Party member or one demonstrabe
Communist Sympathizer, Truly, the smear is
many-headed monster.
Finally, the resolution demands that the
President "reconstitute" the State Department so
that the people may again have confidence in the
conduct of our foreign affairs. Here would seem
to be the ultimate in absurdity. For the State
Department, in dealing with Communism, has
done nothing without the Presidents approval
and Mr. Truman, in fact, has repeatedly stated
that Mr. Acheson has his full confidence and
full support. So the Legion, if it believed in
it's case should not have been shooting at Mr..
Acheson It's barbs should have been directed
toward the President J
There is no question of course of the Legion's
right to adopt this resolution Right or wrong
guided or misguided it Is free to denounce
whomever it chooses for whatever reason. But
these are critical times. And no one, least of all
a body representing 100000 Americans can,
with wisdom rest its judgments and indictments
on emotionalism and generatieS. The mark of
true responsibility today is an insstence that
criticism of our public men be based upon facts
and only upon facts.