Evening star., 1951-06-03

SIS naval DlOCkdQe as tne IleAt
the first step, have been
obtained.
Asked if he had encountered
difficulty in selling his proposition
to other top-level officials in the
Government, the admiral replied:
II have not made any very Wig
orouS attempt because this other
operation has only been completed
just recently; and I have informed
my colleagues in the Joint Chiefs
Of Staff, and associates in the
State Department, that I felt this
was the next thing"
Admiral Sherman indicated his
willingness to wait and see how
the economic sanctions would op-
crate before pushing for the fur
ther step Of a naval blockade. But
he pointed out that some coun-
tries already have served notice
that they would trade with whom
they pleased regardless of the
U. N. action.
Secretary of State Acheson, in
his first appearance as a witness
in the inquiry. told the investigat-
ing committee the United States
has not yet asked the United Ma
tions to consider imposing a naval
blockade.
He said the economic sanctions
were the first step and expressed
the opinion such an embargo will
be increasing in effectiveness.
He also pointed out that some Of
this country'S allies have serious
problems" which make them "hes-
itate to take complete and drastic
action"
Blockade Gripping
In a terse and statistics-filled
statement, Admiral Sherman gave
the committee a convincing argu-
ment why he thought a naval
blockade should be carried out to
cripple Communist China's mill
tary potential.
He said such a blockade would
seriously interfere with these
commodities essential to China's
war ecoromy-rubber, petroleum
and petroleum products, indus
trial chemicals, pharmaceuticals,
machine tools, machinery and
lelectronics equipment. Despite
repeated warnings from the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Sherman
said, that trade with Red China
was threat against the security
I Of the United States, such traffic
has continued.
Between January and April,
1851, the naval officer said, 450
American-built trucks went to
China. with India being an i'm
portant reshipment point. Dur
ing April a Hong Kong firm of
fered to supply the Chinese Com
munists with 100 surplus General
Motors 5-ton trucks and 10000
loCGo VI Ill cS.
Start Drain on Russia
During a six-week period from
February % to April 2, 1851, the
admiral testified 235 Western
merchant ships visited Chinese
ports-96 British, 46 Panamanian
and % Norwegian, among others.
In other testimony Admiral
Sherman cited the advantages
that would come from stopping
the flow of war materials into
Communist China.
He said it would force China to
turn to Soviet Russia for supplies
now being obtained elsewhere.
with consequent increased drain
on Russian production. It would
cause unemployment and serious
financial difficulty in the Chinese
urban centers depending on trade.
Since the Chinese are susceptible
to plaques and contagious disease,
the stoppage of medical supplies
would curtail the mobility of the
Chinese armies.
Further, a naval blockade would
have a tremendous psychological
force. as it would, Admiral Sher-
man testified, demonstrate to the
Chinese Communists, and to neigh
boring Asian people, the power Of
the forces against communism
the effectiveness of sea power, a
power the Chinese Communists
can do little to thwart."
Admiral Sherman gave it as his
opinion that the Russians would
not resist a blockade imposed by
the United Nations; they would be
likely to resist one attempted by
the United States. possibly with
force. Since power is the final
arbiter in international law" he
added, "any blockade is fraught
with problems'if objected to by a
neutral willing to use power"
Classic Formula
The plan proposed by the ad-
mil al was in line with the classic
application of a blockade under
international law. The ports of
Communist China would be ef-
fectively sealed off. It would not
include such ports as Port Arthur
and Dairen, under Russian de
facto control, since such a block
ade. the admiral said, could not
be conducted in accordance with
established international law"
But he emphasized that ships Of
neutrals bound for those ports
could be taken off or the ships
sent to another port for unload
ing.
AS surprising as Admiral Sher-
mans testimony was regarding a
naval blockade, it could not be
construed as rejecting any diff
ferences with his associates on
the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
or with Gen. Bradley, the
chairman. When questions on
the blockade were put to those
witnesses, they replied that Ad-
miral Sherman should be uues-