Evening star., 1950-10-12
By Blair Moody
North American Newspaper Alliance

= A4S 444V AL G04 OpC "do
and tremendous. Continentals are
used to many words, polite foot
dragging. reluctance to do un-
pleasant things until one positively
has to. Here was little nation,
remote from the United States,
about which the Americans-ex-
cept for their devotion to the prin-
ciple of resisting aggression
couldn't care less.
Yet the President of the United
States did not hesitate. Americans
had given their word, and they
were to keep it. Here was America
as Europeans had always hoped 1t
would be, but had never been quite
sure of, when the crisis came.
Had We not pulled out of our
own creation, the League of Ma
tions. in 1919? Had we not waited
for two years, until the Japs at
tackled, before coming into what
Europeans had considered our war
as well as theirs from the first?
Many living under the shadow of
the Red Army had been skeptical
whether, when the chips got down,
Americas deeds would match her
words.
Korea Clear Proof.
Korea was clear proof they
would. It meant Europe had a |
chance. 1t meant hope. Scores
of people Observation-Disclosures
and Europeans alike-report this
reaction to the Presidents action.
Had we wavered, confidence
would have been destroyed. More
Europeans than ever before would
have tried to 'get right with both
sides" so as not to miss the win
ner. It would have been a ire
mendous psychological victory for
Stain.
Then came the period when we
seemed to be getting our block
knocked off in Korea. Continentals
were disillusioned. After all, what
good was an American treaty of
security if the homes and families
of Western Europe were to be
overrun before we could get
started?
With disillusion came a mixed
cynicism. So America talked loud
ly but carried little stick, eh?
The fact we were caught by sur
prise 1000 miles away, that a
handful Of Americans did one of
the most remarkable holding jobs
in military history, made no dent
on most Europeans. They could not
know. of course, that Macarthur
was withholding troops from the
front while sucking the North Ko-
reanS in for smashing end run
Taxi Drivers Complain
In London, taxi drivers COM
planned that United Kingdom
forces were being sent to "the
United States war" in the Far
East. ut took you two years to get
into the Battle of Britain" one
put it bluntly.
In Paris there was not alone an
increased what's -the-use feeling,
but the inner humiliation over the
1910 shellacking by the Nazis came
to the surface. Now we knew what
it felt like!
The trend toward appeasement,
toward neutrality" born from a
fallacious hope. as one intelligent
and democratic European put it,
that I'VE could crouch like rab-
bits so perhaps the invader might
not notice u.s." got dangerous i'm
petus.
Then, bang! In two or three
days it was all over.
Victory BoIsters Hope.
Americans after all were men
who meant what they said. Men
Of idealism who would certainly
save Europe If they would save
Korea! Victory supplied what the
Europeans needed most - hope
that things, after all, might come
out all right.
A1N AuCSOlOIl dShCO 1l1OOG lISs
quently by Americans about Eu-
rope is, "Will the French f1ght?"
Strong Frenchmen, like Minister
of Defense Jules Moch, say the
French will fight anytime their
country is attacked.
Even though defeat were in
escapable?" "Of course!" says Mr..
Moch, looking the interviewer
squarely in the eye.
The smart thing to say at inter-
national cocktail parties, however,
seems to be that they won't fight.
And If the professional sophisti-
Gates are right, then everything
we are doing in Europe is worse
than wasted.
The question-will the Euro
peans fight if the Red Army in
vades?-was put to nearly every