Evening star., 1950-03-20
Red China Rulers Seen
Running Into Difficulty
demonstrating Gains
By John N. Hishtower
Assoeioted Press Stoff Writer

DAPAoildtlC lCPOi GS IldVc COll-
vinced top State Department Off
cials that China's Communist
rulers are running into extreme
difficulties in trying to consolidate
their hold on the country.
AS a result, these officials be-
lieve that any Chinese Communist
action to spread Red control into
Southeast Asia will be slowed down
If not indefinitely delayed
This. in turn, gives the United
States and other Western nations
little longer time. They need
1t to complete their own plans for
aiding the Southeast Asian coun-
tries such as Indo-China to put up
a stout defense of their freedom
from Communist domination.
Secretary of State Acheson in
speech at San Francisco last
week promised limited military,
economic and advisory assistance
to the Southeast Asian countries.
He thus completed the outline Of
Americas basic policy toward that
non-C Communist area of the world.
Decisions Due Soon.
The precise steps to be taken
are now in the final stages of
consideration and decisions by
Secretary Acheson, Secretary of
Defense johnson and President
Truman may come fairly soon.
One of the major imminent
developments is the delivery of a
report by Philip Jessup. Ambas-
sador at Large. to Secretary Ache
son, probably Thursday. Mr.. Jes-
sup returned here four days ago
from a Far Eastern tour.
After discussing his trip with
Mr.. Acheson, Mr.. Jessup will talk
it over with members of the Sen
ate and House Foreign Affairs
Committees.
In the meantime, Assistant
Secretary of State Walton But
terworth is understood to have
reported to Mr.. Acheson and other
department officials on his recent
meeting with Mr.. Jessup and
other American diplomats at
BANGKOK, Siam.
The gist of Mr.. Butterworth's
report is said to back up the
Acheson policy line that the sue
cess of Asia's quest for freedom
is possible only if the Asian peo-
pies, including the Chinese. re-
ject communism. A keystone to
the Acheson policy is the argu-
ment that communism is only
new Russian imperialism in Asia.
Disillusionment Seen.
In China itself, where the
Communists have achieved one of
their greatest triumphs since the
Russian revolution, there are
said to be increasing reports of
restlessness and discomfort. To-
gether, these are said to add up to
a kind of disillusionmeAt with the
hopes many Chinese apparently
had entertained that a change of
politics and rule would mean an
end to some of China's suffering.
Instead. State Department Off
cials are studying information
that shows:
/, The populous coastal areas
of China are undergoing con-
stantly increasing economic diff
culties: the Nationalist blockade
is cutting off supplies they ur-
gently need. Trade has been hurt
too by the Communists general
disregard for the normal decen-
cies of treatment of foreigners,
notably Americans.
q. There have been extensive
crop failures and food shortages;
millions of people. as Mr.. Ache
son told a San Francisco audi
ence, may die in the months i'm
mediately ahead.
3. The Communists still have
millions of troops under arms and
presumably intend to keep them
that way. This is always a drain
on any nations resources and
may be an extremely heavy bur-
den when those resources are
weakened by other causes.