Evening star., 1950-12-19
Many in U. 5. Doubt
Europeans Willing
Or Ready 10 Fight
AttIee's Far East Policy
Reacts to Cuuse Trend
Toward IsoIutionism
By David La,crence


ton grows no clearer.
1t is an oversimplification to
attribute this to the fact that
the Republicans and the Demo-
Gratis are not working together
here, or to the fact that Europe
has not demonstrated conclusively
its capacity for unity in the face
of danger.
The truth is that, in a very
large sense, many governments
which prate about freedom and
conscience have allowed them
selves to drift away from basic
principle and have sought easy
ways out-either by avoidance of
the issues, or an attempt to me
gotiate" ways out by surrender on
vital points.
The realism Of the moment
and it's something Britain and
France have not yet discovered
is that large numbers of people
in America are losing confidence
in Europe. and particularly in
its readiness to fight or will to
fight.
Sweeping Over America.
What is sweeping over America
is a throw-back to the very ar
guments that the British and
other European papers have used
so penetratingly against further
involvement by America in the
Far East. The same advice which
says withdraw from Korea and
= China because of the overwhelm-
ing amount of manpower arrayed
against us there is being applied
to Europe. 1t is being argued
that Russian manpower is so
overwhelming in Europe that per-
haps the United States should
not get further involved there
either.
The official policy of the Ameri-
can Government does not waver.
The plan still Is to aid Europe,
but an adverse public opinion is
growing which says that it is
time to reconsider the European
continent in terms of whether
1t really can be defended.
Prime Minister Attlee and the
press Of Europe probably never
dreamed that they would be STIR
ring up isolationism in America.
but the reports from all parts of
this country indicate that the
readiness of Europe to abandon
the American position in the Far
East and to write off the whole
Korea business has reacted to the
disadvantage of the cause of in
ternational cooperation as a
whole. The United Nations is
coming in for severe condemna-
ton as an organization that
passed a resolution in June to go
into Korea, but which it didn't
back up with adequate forces.
The repeated appeals from Gen.
Macarthur for more help fell on
deaf or Indifferent ears. The
non-Communist countries with
their populations of hundreds Of
millions could have furnished him
more manpower than they did
that's the way the man on the
street is looking at it all today.
Politicians Watch Trend.
The isolationists are making
headway with lots of folks in this
country who feel that the rest OF
the world let America down in
the Far East and now wants to
scuttle the situation, with America
bearing the brunt of the debacle.
The politicians in Congress are
watching the trend Of public
opinion. The Democratic view
point is not far different from
the Republicans so far as over
all policies are concerned. The
administration supporters in
Congress do not agree with the
attacks on Secretary Acheson.
but for the most part they are
reluctant to take up the cudgels
for him because they know that
foreign policy as whole is under
fire, and that until some clearing
of the air comes there is little use
in arguing about personalities.
Most tragic of all is the rapid
decline of faith in the United
Nations. The attitude of India
comes in for very severe comment
in many Of the discussions here.
The attitude Of the Arab states
is also being criticized. In fact,
while the delegates to the U. N.
doubtless are rejecting the view-
points Of their own governments,
nevertheless the man on the
street doesn't understand deep
seated enthusiasm for Communist
China which prevails among the
European and Eastern diplomatic
representatives Of the non-Com-
munist countries. The explana-
ton given by the British Am
bassador in a speech in Chicago
the other day and by other lead
ing spokesmen in Europe that
because Communist China has
gained physical control of that
country she is entitled to ad-
mission in the u. N. is regarded
by most Americans as just a ra-
tionalization that seeks to excuse
a course based on expediency
rather than principle. To suggest
admission is to make a mockery
Of resistance to aggression" as
a cause worth fighting for CO.
operatively. That Is what is breed
ing isolationism in America.
Europe will discover some day
that more was lost than the battle
of Korea in the fateful month Of
December, 1850.
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