Evening star., 1950-02-06
Mcmahon Plan Called
Challenge To Nation
To Use Ingenuity
Senator Did Not Intend
To Imply Thot Peace
Could Be Bought by U. S.
By David Laurence

Could Be Bought by U. S.
By David Laurence
"Fifty billions for world peace" +"
as many headline put it to the
American people last week, was
intended by it's sponsor, Senator
Brien Mcmahon of Connecticut.
as a symbol of a new approach
rather than a literal formula.
There was, for instance, not the
slightest intention to imply that
peace could be bought just by
offering money to other govern
ments or peoples.
"We must bear in mind" said
the Connecticut Senator to this
correspondent today, that peoples
fight wars and that no govern
ment in the world, however die
tatorial, can stand up long against
an unwilling people. If the mes
sage can be gotten home to the
Russian people Of what lies
ahead, either they will in time
change the Russian government
or ways will be found by the
Russian people themselves to
make it responsive to their free
will.
Behind the Iron Curtain, all
is not serene. The postwar re-
construction problems of Russia
are colossal. That's one reason
really for the existence of the
Iron Curtain-they have to keep
1t On tight because of a fear that
the Russian people and the
peoples of the neighboring coun-
tries will learn the truth about
our peaceful intentions and our
desire to help them participate
in q program of world peace"
Challenge to Minds.
The Mcmahon plan is not q
blueprint but it is a definite chal-
lenge to the ingenious minds of
all Americans and citizens of
other democracies to come for
word with plans to win peace for
the world by ideas-by moral
force-by reaching into the hearts
and minds of people everywhere.
Actually, nothing like fifty bill
lions of dollars is involved. With
a small fraction of that sum a gi-
gantic program of thought trans
mission can be evolved. But once
there are signs that the Russian
people want to come along and
set up a trustworthy government.
there is perhaps no limit to the
amount of money that could be
spent by public and private means
to assure economic reconstruction
in peaceful world.
The Marshall Plan itself is a
program of international eco
nomic cooperation in which Rus
sia was at one time invited by the
United States to join. That invi-
tation can be renewed enthuSias-
tically when there is a Russian
government that can be trusted to
keep the peace. No aid can be
forthcoming, of course, to a die
tatorship which can overnight
start an undeclared war.
The Kremlin will no doubt dis
tort the main features of this
plan and appeal to the sensitive
patriotism Of the Russian people
with the cry that foreigners are
trying to bribe them. Actually the
future of the Communist oil
garchy is doomed If the Russian
people ever get to know the real
facts.
Next Important Step.
Hence the most important step
to be taken next Is to organize
a tremendous scheme of thought
transmission. The "Voice OF
America" needs more money
Senator Mcmahon calls it not a
voice but a whisper" because it
has only few millions to spend.
What is needed is a systematic
program of thought penetration
by leaflets, by letters, by radio.
by newspapers printed exactly as
the Russian papers are printed
and by dozens of other devices
whereby the message of goodwill
and truth can be spread. 1t
may not bring results overnight
but with world peace at stake and
hydrogen bombs in the making
that can quickly destroy millions
of lives, the program is well worth
organizing on a huge scale and
with whatever sums are needed to
carry it out. That's really what
Senator McMahon has in mind.
The basic principle is faith in
moral force. Christianity is built
on that faith. It assumes that
the behavior of man can be
guided by truth-"and the truth
shall make ye free" But truth
must be disseminated effectively.
The plan to transmit truthful
Information to the Russian peo-
pie has already been adopted by
the United States. 1t has the
approval of Congress. ALI that
Senator Mcmahon asks now is
that the project be extended with
as much energy and study given
to it as we give nowadays to mill
tary preparedness and weapons
Of physical force.
Senator Mcmahon remarked to
me today that even If the prof.
ect should fail, America will be
in O much stronger position in
the opinion of decent people
everywhere for having at least
offered a humane plan before
yielding to the necessity of drop
ping atomic bombs again. But
he is confident that the plan can
succeed.
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