Evening star., 1950-01-04
Navy 'Scutt|ing' Ended
Respect Of Far East
OF American Power
Policy Of Accommodating
u. S. to Asia Reds Held
Leading to Dire Results
By David Laurence

S~ T~SSs
But. while there have been in
stances in which the United States
has Influenced the course of gov
ernments in other countries so
as to cause them to respect the
lives and property Of Americans
there have been many more in
stances in which, by withholding
recognition, the situation has been
aggravated and serious complica-
tions, going almost to the point of
war, have been encountered.
Old Rule Of World Law.
The old rule of international
law was to extend recognition de
facto-that is, to recognize as a
realistic fact that some group or
faction had obtained military
supremacy. The de facto recogni-
ton was a sort of preliminary step
and, while as a rule diplomatic
relations were established, there
was always the cautionary policy
of withholding de jure-or legal
recognition until such time as
the new government, by a ma
tional election or some other
popular expression. showed that
1t was conforming to the national
will.
Our recognition experience has
been fraught with a good deal of
inconsistency and, one might say.
contradiction. For again and again
the United States Government has
extended full recognition in various
parts of the globe to governments
which had de facto authority but
which by no stretch of the imag-
ination could qualify for de jure
or legal recognition by any inter-
national standard ever, devised.
Thus the recognition extended to
the Soviet government back in
the '30s by the Roosevelt admins
tration did take into account the
fact that the SovietS had actual
authority over the country but
ignored the means by which 1t
had been attained and the dicta-
torship by which it was being
maintained.
The United States has recog-
nized-and does not withdraw
recognition from-the Peron gov
ernment in Argentina, though the
latter is denying freedom Of the
press and is form of dictator
ship scarcely less palatable than
that in other parts Of the globe.
Matter for Diplomacy.
The problem of recognition,
therefore, has become a practical
matter for diplomacy. # it ac-
cords with an overall interna-
tional policy to extend recogni-
ton, the rules and standards which
previous theory may have pro-
claimed are deliberately ignored.
If some military or other purpose
can be achieved by Withholding
recognition. there is a natural
basis for such policy. But the
nation which pursues it does so
usually with its eyes wide open
to possible involvements that
come with reprisals against its
nationals.
The United States has no
choice but to recognize the Com
munists in China if the Truman
policies are to be logically fol-
lowed. Thus. when the Navy was
scuttled. the means of securing
respect for Americas military
power in the Far East was scut-
tied also. Intercontinental bomb
ing by the Air Force has been
sold as a way to keep peace and
cause other nations to respect
us. But intercontinental bombing
cannot blockade ports or deal
with the mine-laid blockades
that interrupt shipping.
The reasons that now dictate
recognition of Communist China
and a desertion of the Chang
Kai-shek government are the
same reasons that the isolation
lists always used in urging that
America not become involved in
Europe. In time, as armament
becomes expensive, the tendency
Is to pull out of world dilemmas
one by one and let nations with
internal dilemmas of ideology
stew in their own juice.
The Truman administration
would Indignantly deny it, but
the course it is pursuing by cur
failing the one international
force that has been used for
centuries to command respect
overseas means that we could
make only token; demonstra-
ton in the far Pacific. It has al
ready meant a withdrawal from
the Mediterranean. Hence, 1t
may be anticipated that policy
OF accommodating America to
ASiatic communism will lead in
eyitably to a policy of placating
European communism centered
in Moscow.
Thus, if "cold war" In the
Far East is illogical. so is a "cold
war" in Europe. What Is being
demonstrated perhaps is that our
expenditure Of SIS billion or more
q year on armament isn't soaring
anybody or diminishing by q
square mile the great trouble
areas Of the world. Nor is it In
fr0dllninU anu l,noral ko,nan -. L.. !.