Evening star., 1950-06-28
To Uphold the Rule of Law

The military orders announced yesterday by
President Truman add up, in effect, to fateful
warning to the Kremlin that a line-a kind
of quarantine-has been drawn against it in
Asia and that If it moves aggressively against
that line either directly or through its puppets,
it will meet head-on physical resistance backed
by the power of the United States.
This is a history making and much-needed
declaration of American policy that puts into
force a concrete program of action in a crucial
region of the world where for many months
past our Nation has seemed to be more or less
like drifting ship bound no one knew where
But all that is changed now Now the course
is set clearly enough to remove doubts from
everybody's mind, particularly from the minds
of the Russians and their satellites.
Thus, acting in his constitutional capacity
as Commander in Chief the President has made
clear just what this country proposes to do in
the area of immediate crisis. Without any ifs"
butts or "maybes," he has ordered-and the
order has already been put into effect-our air
and sea forces to give "cover and support" to
the Southern Korean troops now engaged in
defending their country against the criminal
invasion of the Kremlins puppet regime in the
north.
This action has been taken by the President
ito preserve international peace and security"
against Kremlin- directed aggressor force that
has def1ed the order of the United Nations
Security Council to cease fire and withdraw
to the 38th parallel Communist aggreSSor
bent on destroying an independent democratic
country brought into existence under the spon-
sorship of America and the U. N. as whole.
For it's own part, the oviet-boycotted Council,
in 7-to-1 decision, with Yugoslavia dissenting
and India and Egypt not voting has for the first
time in its history asked all of the U. MS mem
AArr
United States in helping to repel the Korean
invasion.
But the President, rightly viewing the
situation as plain evidence of communism's
readiness to resort to war to attain it's ends
elsewhere in Asia, has done much more than
take bold action to save Southern Korea. In
a timely and highly significant reversal of past
policy, he has ordered the 7th Fleet to prevent
Chinese Red attack on Formosa, the last strong
hold of the Nationalist regime of Chang Kai-
shek and an island of great Importance to our
own security. In addition, he has directed
that our forces be strengthened in the Philip
pines, that we step up our ornaments aid to
the government there, and that similar measures
including the dispatch of a military mission
be taken to back up France and the Associated
States in Indo-China, the gateway to Southeast
Asia. .....
~ In along range sense as action designed to
forestan further Communist advances in Asia
and the Far Pacific, the Presidents orders on
Formosa,. the Philippines and 1ndo-China have
an Importance that can hardly be exaggerated.
But in a current sense, in the sense that it has
all the makings of an immediate showdown
with the Kremlin, his decision to throw American
sea and air forces into the struggle for Southern
Korea is overwhelmingly momentous. For it
can result in either of two eventualities-
either speedy collapse of the northern
invaders or Russian reaction of a kind that
could lead, over period of days or weeks, to
another world war
Here, obviously, is great gamble. Accom-
panied by an American request to the Russians
to tell their Korean puppets to obey the
Security Council, it is gamble that has been
TAKEN in the Presidents words ito uphold
the rule of law" The risk of not taking it
would have been much graver than the risk
of taking it. For had it not been taken, then
the Red totalitarians would have had green
light for aggression everywhere. The halt must
be called now-as Mr.. Truman has courageously
called it-before 1t is too late.