Evening star., 1951-03-03
The Political Mill
6. 0. P. Trying to Heal
Foreign Policy Split
Lodge Leading New Drive
To End Breach in Party
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln


To End Breach in Party
By Gould Lincoln
The drive is on to heal, as far as pos
sible. the breach in the Republican Party
over foreign policy-particularl as that
policy Is exemplified in assignment Of
American ground troops to Western
Europe.
A leader in this effort is Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge, jr., Of Massachusetts,,
member Of the Foreign Relations Com
mittee. He has constantly maintained
that the differences in the party on this
question have been greatly magnified.
He insists that the area of agreement
among the Republicans, on foreign pol
icy, Is much greater, and therefore
significant.
The Massachusetts, Senator is the au-
thor of a resolution, proposed as sub
stitute for the Wherry resolution now
being considered Jointly by the Foreign
Relations and Armed Services Commit
tees. which could provide q rallying post
for the Republican Senators, provided
Senator Taft of Ohio and Senator
Wherry of Nebraska are willing to give
ground.
Senator Taft, the chairman Of the
Republican Policy Committee of the
Senate, and Wherry. Republican floor
leader, have been vociferous in demands
=. Cd that CongreSs-not the President
determine the policy of sending troops
to Europe and ca that some limitation
or ratio system be adopted by Congress
to govern the assignment of troops to
that area.
A Simple Resolution.
The Wherry resolution in a round
about way would put the Senate on
record as opposing the sending of addi-
tional troops to Europe pending the
adoption of policy (regarding the
sending OF troops by the Congress. The
Lodge resolution approves-and in reality
states-the policy of sending "a limited
number of troops to Europe. Whereas.
the Wherry resolution is simple reso-
luton requiring action only by the SEN
ate, the Lodge resolution is joint reso-
luton which requires action by the
House as well as the Senate, and also
the signature of the President.
Senator Lodge is one of large num-
Der of Republicans who believe that
something must be done to implement
the provisions of the North Atlantic
Security treaty while we are still at
peace-in other words, to help in build
ing up adequate defense forces in
Europe against possible Russian aggres-
sion. He insists that we must act to
prevent the fall of all Europe into the
hands of Russian Communists-that our
first line Of defense must be in Europe,
not the coast of North America.
Senator Taft has already announced
he will not oppose the sending of more
troops to Europe. The Ohio Senator,
however. has urged that some form Of
limitation be placed upon the number
OF American troops to be sent to Europe.
preferably ratio system. whereby the
United States would provide one division
to nine European divisions supplied the
NATO forces under Gen. Dwight D.
Eisenhower.
Mr.. Lodge contents himself with say
ing, in his resolution. that the number
of American troops in those forces shall
be a minor ffaction"-a term used by
Gen. Eisenhower when he appeared be-
fore the Senate committees to discuss
the whole matter.
Not Insurmountable.
The difference between the Taft posi-
ton and that of Mr.. Lodge seems not
insufmountable. So far as Senator
Wherry's demands are concerned, the
Lodge resolution actually would estab-
lish policy-by congressional action
in regard to sending troops to Europe.
Mr.. Wherry's main contention is that
Congress must establish such a policy.
Whether the Lodge resolution or some
modification of it is made the vehicle.
it does appear that there can be a
reconciliation of Republican views on
this troops-to-Europe policy, provided
the Republican Senators work at it.
One difficulty has been the failure
Of the Republican Policy Committee.
headed by Senator Taft, to meet and
consider this important foreign policy
question. Indeed, some of the Repub-
lican Senators are becoming restive be-
cause more policy meetings are not
called by Senator Taft. A caucus Of
the entire Republican membership Of
the Senate could be held on this troops
question, following its consideration by
the party policy committee.
It has been obvious from the start
of the so-called great debate" which
has ranged Taft and Wherry and former
President Hoover against Lodge, Ives
of New York, Duff of Pennsylvania,
Gov. Dewey of New York and. President
Harold E. Stassen of the University of
Pennsylvania, for example, that Taft
and Wherry do not speak for all the
Republicans in and out of the Senate,
and probably not for majority Of the
Republicans in the Senate. 1t is time,
therefore, that they get down to the
business of arriving at real Republican
policy, along with the rest of their
Republican colleagues.
Questions nnd Answere