Evening star., 1950-06-08
Taft Asks Quick Treaty.
With Japan 10 Project
u. ). Interests There
BY the Assoeioted Press

Senator Taft. Republican. OF
Ohio said today there should be
a quick Japanese peace treaty
because without one the situation
within Japan may begin to go
against American interests.
Defense Secretary Johnson and
Adviser John Foster
Dulles of the State Department
leave for Tokyo later this month
to confer on a japanese peace
settlement with Gen. Macarthur.
Senator Taft said in an inter-
view that he understood the delay
in pressing for a peace settlement
for Japan has been largely
caused by the failure of the mill
tary authorities to agree on what
they want with regard to bases. u
Since the advent of atomic
weapons and the possibility of
atomic warfare" Senator Taft
added, II am told that Okinawa
american island base south OF
the main Japanese island) is not
sufficient because it is too vul-
nerable to attack"
Bases Considered Necessary.
Senator Taft said he understood
that Gen. Macarthur, supreme
Allied commander for the occu-
patton, desires an early peace
treaty, but he would not say what
Gen. Macarthur thinks about the
SO far critical issue of whether
the United States should have
bases. and maintain troops ir
Japan for a long time-with OF
without a treaty. Most, if moi
all State and Defense Depart
ment officials, repeatedly feel such
bases are necessary.
Senator Taft's interview GOV.
cred a wide range of foreign pol.
icy questions. 1t grew out of q
talk he had made off the recorc
to a group of newspapermen al
a private meeting here earlier ir
the week.
Questions were raised about
whether his comments could be
published and this morning he
met with reporters to give OF
withhold permission. In some in
stances he refused to let some
of his views be used at this
time. but in general approved
publication of most of what he
had said.
Can't Be Sure of Use.
Points of his discourse which
he authorized for publication in
clude:
l. The key question in arming
allies in the anti Communist con-
flict is whether they will or can
fight" Senator Taft said that
with the exception of arms given
to Britain the American Govern
ment can not be sure that the
arms given European counties can
or will be used against Russia"
2. The United States should act
if Russia should attempt to sweep
over Western Europe. Senator
Taft added, Il have therefore TAX
en- the position that we should
be prepared to, go to. war with
Russia if that should occur"
3. Senator Taft refused in re-
sponse to a direct question to say
whether he thought Secretary of
State Acheson should co. as
the questioner phrased it. The
Senator replied. II haven't said
that and I don't think I want to
say it."
4. Senator Taft said that on
present American policy toward
Russia "I'm as much as sea as
you are" and added he thought
that Mr.. Acheson was in the same
fix. He explained that the prob
lem was actually in "the Russian
mind" that 1--WE know we are not
going to start a war but we don't
know what the Russians intend" ;"
He added he was optimistic that
the Russians would not start q
war.
Opposes Constant Carping."
S. When the European Recov-
cry Program ends, Senator Taft
would be willing to consider fur
ther economic aid for other coun-
tries but " I should hope to get
the figure down to 81 billion or 50
billion, to be provided for the
most part by private capital"
6. Regarding bipartisan foreign
policy. Senator Taft said that II
the phrase means complete BIZ
partisan foreign covering all areas
OF foreign policy then he doubts
1t is possible.
The opposition party in Con-
gress. he said, should avoid Con
slant carping" about day-to-day
conduct of foreign affairs but
must be free to criticize the ad-
on questions of prin-
ciple and on the past record.