Evening star., 1950-03-19

department.. In par IIlCu1dT-WdS
packed with Communists and
fellow travellers.
Acheson Can Be Puzzlins
When Alger Hiss was found
guilty the reaction was strong.
The average American can find
no excuses for Benedict Arno.ds.
And people began to wonder
whether our present international
headaches were not due to the
fact that in the past the Govern
ment had tolerated such persons,
who pilfered the files of the State
Department to provide a foreign
country-Which is now our bitter
est enemy-With top-secret docu-
ments.
Our disaster in China, which
was of little concern to the bulk
of the American people. began to
be appraised at its real value.
The State Departments issuance
last summer of a white book de-
Tending the policy which caused
the Chinese debacle now is re-
garded as trick of those fell
lows in Washington"
To top this uneasineSS of the
American people came the ILL
considered statements by the
Secretary of State himself that
he did not intend to turn his back
on Alger Hiss, the man whom an
unbiased American jury had
found guilty of perjury.
MI. Acheson is not easily un-
derstood by the rank and file Of
American people. Unquestion-
ably he is one of the most bril-
liant and at the same time most
controversial Secretaries of State
we have ever had. Mr.. Acheson
is liberal, but not in the new
sense of being pinko and Rus
sian-loVer. He has a deep con-
tempt for stupid, narrow minded
people, - and frequently places
most members of Congress in that
category.
He does not bargain with his
conscience, even if the whole
world tells him he is wrong. He
is a man of undoubted courage.
For instance, he did not hesitate
to admit publicly that he had been
wrong in his policies toward
Spain. He didn't seek alibis but
frankly stated that he was wrong
"a rare feat for a man in pub
lie life. But he prides himself on
reaching conclusions by himself
and not through the advice of his
counsellorS or any other outsiders.
He stuck his. neck out in the
Alger Hiss case, although every
body around him urged him to
keep his peace. He was told that
if he wanted to jeopardize his job
that was his own business. But
to create further suspicion and
distrust about the State Depart
ment was much more than hurt
ing himself as a public official.
Not only did he refuse to listen to
such advice, but in a spirit OF
typical "Acheson defiance" he re-
iterated his sentiments about Hiss
and for good measure implied in
his statement before a Senate
committee that those who did not
understand his sentiments were
ignorant" "a diplomatic way Of
describing Stupidity.
Departments Prestige Low
The prestige of the State De-
partment throughout the country
today is at it's lowest ebb in his
tory. In Congress even the most
faithful supporters of the admin
istration have a hard time sup
porting the State Departments
policies and its top-ranking Off
cials. The feeling that there are
still other "Alger Kisses" in top
Government positions is more
widespread than ever.
Why. it is asked, does Mr.. Ache
son insist on spending large
amounts of money in Far Eastern
countries which could be toppled
over by the Russians and their
Chinese Communist associates al
most overnight? At the same time
he remains adamant against
spending even small sums in sup
porting the Nationalists' military
effort on Formosa, where the Ma
tionalists have proved that they
can stop Communist invasion.
Why. it is asked, has Mr.. Ache
son Influenced" the JOIN. Chiefs
of Staff, allegedly throug.- the
Commander in Chief, in declaring
that Formosa is of no real strategic
Importance, when so many Sem
ators and Representatives have
been told. off the record. that it
is of real value in Pacific defense?
The public, which knows little
about Mr.. Acheson's character,
wonders whether the Kisses" in
the State Department influence
the Secretary's Judgment.
Questions of treason are sensa-
tional and reach the general
public much more easily than COM
plex international problems. But
together they make for general
distrust and fear that we are being
sold down the river. This comes
at time when unity of the Amer
ican people is more important than
ever.
The State Department, of
course, is top heavy. There are
many more employees in that or
ganization than there ever were
in the past. In 1899 the State
Department had a little more
than 1000 persons among it's per-
sonnel. Today there are about
$4,000.
In 1889 when the State Depart
ment's public relations unit Wss