Evening star., 1950-12-31
By Robert K. Walsh

Nineteen-f1fty added up to more
than the sum of it's parts. Super
f1cially it split 50-50-before Korea
and after Korea, the first half bad,
the second worse. Actually the G-
visions-historic, diplomatic, eco
nomic and military-went far
wider.
They spun around Korean core
that hardened long before the
armed fighting. Those pieces be-
long to a puzzle that crossed and
threatens the whole world. They
fit into no clear, separate picture
as the battered old year dies with
q shudder instead of sigh.
Events of the last IL months
sprang often from lack of foresight.
Hindsight itself falls short of fur
nishing enough explanations, much
less answers, for what happened
and might yet happen. The fate of
the house divided provides as stern
a warning as in Lincoln's time.
But the future of the world, torn
apart again at the goth century's
midway mark, lies hidden deeper
than ever.
So does the future of the United
States, with critical and confusing
differences over how to handle the
crisis for free survival and honest
peace.
Physical strife in the struggle
between democracy and commu-
nism rumbled last January. De-
spite deceptive lulls, 1t broke out
aggressively in late June. 1t erupted
more violently in November. AS
1851 dawns dismally, nations and
peoples everywhere wonder wheth-
er third world war will come-if,
indeed, it did not really start six.
months ago.
At the beginning Of 1850 the
American people asked whether the
Chinese Communist regime ought
to be recognized. They debated
what to do about Formosa and
Chaing Kai-shek's Nationalist
stronghold there. They worried
about that islands temptation to
Communists as a springboard to
the Philippines and United States
outposts in the Pacific.
Presidents Recommendation
President Truman, fresh from q
26-day vacation at Key West and
independence, looked to the final
session of the 81st Congress that
looked in turn to the following No
vember elections.
"Our success in working with
other nations to preserve peace"
the President advised Congress,
depends largely on what we do at
home"
He recommended continuance of
the European Recovery Program,
further military aid to North At
lantic treaty countries and adop-
ton of the point-four program
He urged action on Taft-Hartley
Act repeal, the Branrian agricul-
tural plan, rent control extension,
health insurance and other Fair
Deal measures.
He reported the national econ
ony good" He submitted the
second largest peacetime budget in
history, estimated expenditures of
$43.5 billion for the fiscal period
beginning July 1, 1850, and a S.
billion prospective deficit.
The President barred military
assistance for the Chinese Nation
alists. The United States, he told
the world, has "no predatory de-
signs on Formosa or any other
Chinese territory"
That did not entirely satisfy
former President Hoover or Senator
Taft. "We should, If necessary,
give naval protection" Mr.. Hoover
suggested. The Ohio Senator, SYM
bolized as "Mr. Republican" and
in some circles believed likely to
have his senatorial seat pulled
from under him in the fall, COM
mented: "I think we should take
steps to see that the Communists
do not cross over to Formosa. It
would require use Of the Navy to
do that"
The administrations hands-of
attitude toward Chang did not
mean hands-out gesture to Mao
Tze-tung and his Soviet-supported
Peoples Republic" on the main
land. Britain, however, recog-