Evening star., 1950-08-15
Korean War Events
Shape Up as Major
Campaign Issues
By Cecil HoIIond

this countryS foreign polcleS ana
events leading to the Korean war
shaped up today as a major issue
in the fall congressional cam
paigns.
Democrats and Republicans alike
were agreed that a shouting de-
bate in the Senate yesterday
afforded a sort Of prelude for such
a battle.
In the debate harsh words re-
placed the sweetness and light
which have marked efforts, since
the Korean crisis developed, to re-
establish the tottering foundation
of the bipartisan approach to
foreign policy-the approach that
worked so well in establishing the
Marshall Plan program and other
steps for stemming communism in
Western Europe.
Wherry Joins in Attacks.
The debate was touched off by
the statement over the week end
Of four Republican members of
the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, blaming the admin
istration for inviting the Com
munlst attack in Korea by it's
previous hands-of policies.
Senator Wherry of Nebraska,
the Republican floor leader. joined
in the attacks on the administra-
ton and in biting Senate talk
accused the Democrats of trying
to "whitewash the Truman ad-
ministration's blunders that paved
the way for war in South Korea" I"
Democratic Senators quickly
abandoned the pleas for unity
which they have been voicing
since the Korean war developed
and joined the issue to be fought
out on the political stumps in the
fall campaign.
Mcmahon Charges Resistance.
Their views were expressed by
Senator Mcmahon, Democrat. of
Connecticut, a member Of the
Foreign Relations Committee and
a candidate for reelection. He
charged that Senator Wherry and
a majority of Senate Republicans
had fought almost every admin
istration effort to keep Europe out
Of the hands of the Communists. y
Senator Mcmahon charged the
Republicans were masters OF
hindsight who seek to cut them
selves in on the victories in our
foreign policy and to divorce
themselves from our defeats, "
and added:
When a policy has worked we'll
they call it a bipartisan achieve
ment but If things go badly they
insist the administration must
take the blame"
Senator Wherry retorted with
the assertion that Secretary OF
State Acheson's policies had failed
in Asia, and said:
"The American people lost faith
in Mr.. Acheson and the ineptness
OF the Truman administration
We must get rid of Mr.. Achesor
and put some one else in the
State Department who has not
blundered US into war"
The Nebraskan said the people
are going to hear much more
about the administration mis-
takes" in the approaching election
campaign.
Senator Capehart. Republican
Of Indiana. joined in the debate
to say that the Democrats control
Congress and the White House
and are 100 per cent responsible
! for the Korean war"
Touched Off by Statement.
The statement setting off the
touch-and-go discussion of for
eign policy was released yester-
day morning by Senators Wiley of
Wisconsin, Smith of New Jersey
Hickenlooper of Iowa and Lodge
of Massachusetts, all Republican
members of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee.
Senator Smith told a reporter
he did not regard the statement
as any sort Of political document,
as charged by Chairman Con-
nally Of the Foreign Relations
Committee. Senator M C M h 4
and others.
"We opened it on a note of
unity and we closed it on a note
of unity" he pointed out. "but !
don't see any reason why re-
sponsibility for failure should not
be placed where it belongs"
In the midst of the Republican
Democratic debate, Senator Nc
Carran, Democrat, Of Nevada,
gave some comfort to the Repub-
licans by assailing the State De
partment's handling of the China
situation.
Calling for strong backing of
Chang Kai sheks Nationalist
government, Senator McCarran
accused the State Department of
showing craftsmanship in regard
to China "at the level of the psy-
chopathic ward" and said that "in
the end we wrecked the Chang
Kai-Shek government"
"We must make that govern
ment, whatever it's faults, the rail-
lying point for Chinese opposed to
communism, at least during the
first phase of China's comeback. "
the Nevada Senator added.
r AL