Evening star., 1950-01-06
Expediency Declared
True Base Of Truman
Policy in Far East
US. Unable to Support
Chions Without Messing
= Up Program Of British
BY Daufd Laurence

By David Laurence
Reality has strange way of
beating down theory in interna-
tional affairs. For two and q half
years the United States Govern
ment has proclaimed, and has
spent billions to support. a policy
Of stopping communism in the
world.
Now the United States says it
will stop communism only in Eu-
rope.
For two and a half years the
United States has said that the
aggressive aims of the Soviet
leaders and their threat to engulf
the world in communism justified
Americas policy of affording mill
tary aid to Western Europe and
even Of risking war over the Ber-
lin blockade.
Now the United States declares
that no risks of military or naval
demonstration are to be taken in
connection with the energence of
communism in China, even
though evidence is available that
the Communists of China and
Moscow are in an alliance on
world policies.
Giaring Inconsistency.
1t would apparently be just as
logical now for the Secretary of
State some day to issue a state
ment saying that the United
States, because Of its traditional
position since the days of George
Washington. will not entangle it
self in European internal affairs.
Such q statement would not be
less surprising than the sudden
return to the open door" policy
and hands-off doctrines OF a half
century ago pursued by Repub-
1ican and Democratic administra-
tions In formulating American
foreign policy in the Far East.
Clearly the Truman doctrine" +"
which was intended to influence
the outcome of civil war inside
Greece, was no different than the
policy of sympathetic help sought
from us by the Nationalists in
China in their fight against COM
munisr1.
But it is obvious that this
glaring inconsistency has arisen
because expediency is the true
base Of American policy. Being
confronted by British recognition
of Communist China, the United
States Government cannot pre-
sumably carry on an active policy
Of support for the Chinese Ma
tionalists without messing up the
British program Of helping to
preserve their property and busi-
ness interests In the Far East. the
selfish protection of which has
swept idealisrn out of London's
Labor government.
These Inconsistencies and con-
tradictions will rise to plague both
Washington and London through
out the world. The public inside
the United States will have diffi-
Guilty accepting an unbalanced
budget in order to support Mar
shall Plan aid and high armament
expenses to thwart Russian COM
faunisnn, while the Soviets are
given green light to take over
all of Asia and to build naval
bases. along the Chinese coast.
From a purely strategic point
OF view, the new policy means
scuttling the Pacific. It means an
Invitation to further friction in
the Far East, because the United
States. after extending recogni-
ton to Russia's satellite states,
has nevertheless encountered
series of vexing incidents with
nearly every one of them.
The Chinese Nationalists are
quite capable Of producing en-
barrassing situations for America,
and so are the Communists.
Subjected to Insults.
When a great power manifests
military weakness, it finds itself
subjected to insults. The fact that
the United States has revealed it.
self afraid to make any show Of
force in the Far East could be
construed by Russia as meaning
that a similar withdrawal from
the arena In Europe could also
come any day.
Certainly the American policy
will be interpreted, even in Eu-
rope. as one Of tinidity and as
tending back to the isolationism
Of the 1920s. The Republicans
are in the curious position of urg-
ing form of intervention in
Asiatic affairs while protesting the
expense of helping Western Eu-
ropean allies in both a military
and economic way.
Actually, the strategy of the Re-
publicans as an opposition party
is complicated by a division In