Evening star., 1950-06-01
Congress Can't Gust
Secretary Of State
For Policy Mistakes
con Only Pass Judgment
On Merit Of Report That
Sees War as Inevitable
By David Laurence

SSCS WIZ No stSFtt0DiC
By David Laurence
Members of the House and Sen
ate yesterday could interrogate the
Secretary of State. Dean Acheson
but they could not pass judgment
on the merit Of his report-they
could not hold him accountable
as a member of the British or Ca
madam or Australian cabinet
could be held accountable at the
polls.
This is the chief difference be-
tween the novel session at which
Mr.. Acheson submitted to ques-
tioning by members of Congress
and the method that prevails in
the parliamentary systems abroad
Actually. If anything, the Secre-
tary Of State seems even more
remote from the power of Con-
gress. For, once his appointment
is confirmed by the Senate, he
cannot be removed for mistakes
in policy, II he makes them. Nei-
ther can the President of the
United States. who might be con-
sidered to be analogous in posi-
ton to the prime minister, be re-
moved even though a majority OF
the legislative body disagree with
him on policy. Asking questions
without the power to hold the
executive Immediately responsible
is no gain toward a parliament
tary democracy.
Truman Seems Detached.
incidentally, Mr.. Truman has
succeeded in placing himself so
much into the background on
= foreign policy that he seems some
how detached now from respon-
sibility. Whatever the mistakes
made are those of Mr.. Acheson-
they do not seem to involve Mr.,
Truman at all.
Specifically. there is no way to
bring the administration to the
point Of realizing that the Ache
son report is one that, on it's face,
accepts the inevitability of war
three or five or ten years hence
The Secretary says:
1T should be made plain that
there was nothing which any OF
the IL foreign ministers had tc
say which indicated that there is
any immediate threat of war. II
was our unanimous view that this
is not the problem. The problem
Is to meet a threat which, in view
OF the known program of the
Kremlin, will exist unless we act
now to prepare our defenses
against aggression"
This is but another way O.
saying that aggression will be de.
TERED only by superior might
when organized by the democra
cies. 1t assumes that the Russians
will not wish to build competitive
armaments or new weapons will
which also to prepare their de-
lenses. 1t assumes that an armed
state between rival powers, which
has hitherto in world history
usually led to war, will not thi.
time lead to war.
Pre-War Behavior.
The Secretary says that it was
hoped that with the completion
of the reconstruction phase, each
nation would be free to work out
It's own problems" but that now
the only course open is one of
"co-operative association" Mr.
Acheson sees the road to peace
as one that can be won only if
the twelve nations develop "their
economic and military strength
through the process of voluntary
and continuing cooperation"
There is in all this the tradi-
tional attitude toward the oppos-
ing group of nations which has
always characterized pre-war be-
havior. The concept seems to be
historically the same old defeat.
1sm-that point is reached where
diplomacy is useless, mediation
Is useless, negotiation only means
"appeaSement" and the resource
fulness of man in applying a con.
ciliatory spirit to the problem.
OF man has been exhausted,
Yet the strongest single senti.
ment in America is that which
clamors for peace-an honorable
peace and not a surrender. The
idea that the American Govern.
ment will not do anything tx
hasten the making of a peace
adjustment of any kind but pre-.
fers to drift into war as an in.
evitable necessity some day i.
the discouraging thought tha
comes out of Washington. I
persists in the statements of thu
military and in the statements O.
our highest officials, despite tn,
lip service so often paid to tn,
need for mobilizing the mora
and spiritual forces" of the world
To rely solely on physical force
and to let every occasion go b,
that could be utilized to appeal t.
the peoples of Russia is to Great,
misgivings everywhere that NOR,
armament will bring not peac,
but war.
Meanwhile, in Russia the peopl,
are being educated by their leader
to the same thing-and that's tn.
way wars come.
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