The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1951-01-04
Comment On
World Events

In statement approved by labor
representatives, the Committee on
International Policy of the Nation
al Planning Association sets forth
in strong but restrained language
the peril facing the nation. The
statement, it seems to this column,
is one of the best on the present
crisis.
Entitled Strengthening Our
Strategic Position in the World"
the statement was signed by
George P. Delaney, AFL interna-
tional representative, Michael Ross,
director CIO Department of Inter
national Affairs and leaders in
business, finance, industry, educa-
tion and other fields. In part it
says:
Beginning with the sentence
"The United States is today in
greater peril than ever before" the
NPA Committee on international
Policy on Aug. s issued state
ment entitled "The Current Crisis" J"
Since that statement was issued
the crisis has sharpened, the nature
of the peril to which we lie exposed
has assumed fresh definition, and
the President has declared a state
of national emergency.
\ !. y
The Soviet Union, operating
from its base in the heartland Of
the Geopoliticians, has been build
ing up at an alarming rate its own
military establishment and the mil
itary establishments of it's satel-
lites. While it talks of peace it pre-
pares aggressively for war. Wheth-
er and when it will turn its military
power to the conquest of Western
Europe it is impossible with GER
tainty to foretell. Yet the menace is
so real and pressing that no one
can with prudence ignore it.
Meanwhile, on the Asiatic main
land Mao Tse-tung, acting either
as a puppet or partner of Mar
shall Stalin-and it makes very
little difference which, seems bent
on extending the dominion of the
Chinese Peoples Republic first
over Korea and then through Indo-
China on down to the tip of the
Malay Peninsula. At the same time
there are excursions in the direc-
tion Of Tibet and Nepal, while the
Soviet Union-at times wooing and
at times threatening Iran-cease-
iessly plays with the idea of cap
turing the rich oil lands Of the
Middle East and establishing itself
at the head of the Persian Gulf.
The portent is clear. If these ex-
pansionist plans are not held in
check, the North American contin-
'ent may find itself caught in vast
pincer movement between Asia
with it's limitless manpower and
Europe whose vast industrial po-
tential had come under the sway
of the Soviet Union. This is
the nature of the peril which the
free world faces today.
y \ y
1t may be that we still have time.
Our present superiority in atomic
weapons may prove sufficient to
afford us a brief breathing spell.
If so, our one purpose should be
to take advantage of this good for
tune to the maximum extent pas
sible. If we set about doing so,
working in the closest possible CO.
operation with other Western dem
ocracies, we are entitled to have
high hopes of the outcome. An
aroused America has accomplished
miracles in the past and it may well
accomplish miracles again. If, how
ever, because Of blindness or wish
full thinking or lack of vision or
of courage we fail to heed the
storm warnings that are flying, a
conquering adversary writing the
history of a vanished dream of hu-
man freedom may say with some
justice that we deserved our fate.
We have the right to expect that
our government shall act in accord
ance with well conceived plans
rather than in response to hysteria.
Our government has the right to
expect that as American citizens
we shall no longer shrink from re-
cognizing the full impact of this
crisis in our affairs and that we
shall no longer hesitate to face il
with the indomitable resolution OF
our forebears.
j. !. :.
An immense military effort lies
ahead. But this is not enough. We
must continue and expand our pro
grams for economic aid and for the
economic and social development
of the undeveloped areas. At the
same time we, and the free peoples
who stand with us, must conduct
a more vigorous and imaginative
campaign in the domain of ideas