Evening star., 1950-08-24
Mr.. MoIik Is Mistaken

Russia's Mr. Malik has now taken the position
that the concerted resistance to aggression in
Korea is nothing but colossal international
bluff" But Mr.. Malik is mistaken.
1t is true that the "armed forces of the
United Nations" have existed, up to this time,
more in fancy than in fact. The great bulk Of
the fighting in Korea has been done by the
ground troops of the United States and South
Korea-a circumstance which gave the Soviet
delegate to the Security Council the propaganda
opportunity that he, wanted.
AS he has been doing all along, Mr.. Malk
aimed his remarks primarily at the people of
Asia. The fighting in Korea was described as
"dirty colonial war" with the United States as
the supreme aggressor The United States, he
said, has succeeded in compelling" two or three
colonial powers and the governments of some
colonial and Marshallized countries" to promise
to send several thousand of their "befuddled
soldiers to die for the interests of the American
monopolists in Korea" Mr.. Malik professed
confidence, however, that this bluff will deceive
no one; that the people of the world will under
stand that all of this talk about So nations
banding together against aggression is a crude
deception.
It is hardly conceivable that Mr. Malik
believes his own fabrications But if, by any
chance, he does an awakening Is in store for him.
In time there will be United Nations force
in the literal sense of the term in Korea Perhaps
this country will have to continue to do most of
the fighting But troops from half dozen or
more U. NJ countries will be in Korea before the
end comes, and Mr.. Malik will find it hard to
pass that off as hoax or bluff.
There was in the Malik speech certain
threat or suggestion that continued fighting in
Korea would lead, not to localization of that
war, but to "a broadening of the conflict fraught
with SeriouS c0nSenOenceS Ernoo this If uoof,t
be inferred that he thinks this countrys decision
to fight against aggression regardless of the
volume of aid from other U. n members, was
also bluff, and that veiled threats can frighten
us away from that position. If the Soviet delegate
does think this no man could be more mistaken.
There may be room for criticism of much
that went before the Presidents decision to meet
force with force when the North Koreans, trained
and armed by the Russians, marched across the
38th Parallel. Our original decision that we
would not fight for South Korea may have been
wrong. Perhaps our intelligence failed to give
proper estimate of the power of the North
Koreans. But when the aggression began, when
at last it became clear that the Communists
would use armed force to take what they wanted,
Mr.. Truman made the only decision open to him.
This world has had one experience with little
aggressions that lead to big wars. Hitler taught
the lesson that dictator with powerful army
cannot be bought off by letting him gobble up
one or two little countries Each easy conquest
leads inevitably to "a larger conquest, and, soon
or late, the time comes when the issue has to
be faced.
In this instance, the decision was to face it
at once, not year, or two or three years from
now. That decision has been made and this
country will stand by it, no matter what threats
may be made The chances are that Mr.. Malik
knows this. But If he does not know it, if he
harbors any illusions on the point, our repre-
sentatives in the Security Council should spare
no effort to set him straight.