Evening star., 1951-08-20

passed In our history. II the recent
conduct Of our foreign affairs hal
been disheartening. the same can
not be said of the behavior Of the
heroic men and women who were
given all but impossible tasks tt
carry out
/ The forces first ordered intC
Korea were largely green troops
Assigned to stem as best they coulc
1.-THE advance Of an enemy over.
1whelming in numbers and battle
experience. these soldiers distin.
Iguished themselves by their forti.
ltude. They were stubborn in re.
treat, suffering. as they had to do
lreverses most Furnishing to morale
Later. in the landing at Inchon
the superb coordination in actor
of all branches Of the services
reused universal admiration.
Above all. as the fighting has
ebbed and flowed with no cleal
goal of victory to hearten and sus.
ltain them our forces have faith.
fully performed as the command
directed.
The traditions Of Lexington
Gettysburg. the Argonne. the
Bulge and Coral Sea. and I've
Jima, have been upheld. In a
world and time when stamina is
being challenged on every hand
we may recall a surgeons state
ment of the conditions under
which the First Marine Division
conducted their retreat from
Hungham in December 1850:
Thirty degrees below zero
weather with no fires or warming
tents, frozen C rations for food
snow for water. and the hills
lined with screaming Chinese fol
16 bloody miles !. Men arrived In
Hajarn with a shell Of ice around
their feet inside their boots. Fiji
teen hundred were evacuated :.
by aid, the remaining either being
minor or the men refused to turn
lin, despite the pain and danger OF
permanent injury. in their desire
to fight their way out with their
comrades"
Far East Policy Held Failure.
Such valor in the battle line
deserve something better than in.
decision, irresolution. and equi-
vocation in the ultimate center oi
command.
S. The Administrations Far East
policy has been . catastrophe
failure.
A candid survey Of the posi-.
ton which the United States nov
occupies in the Orient leads tt
the conclusion that the admins
tration's management Of affairs ir
the Far East represents the mos
desolate failure in the history Of
our foreign policy. This manage.
ment has been needless in its neg
Ilect of our interest; the upshot ha!
been catastrophe. The single ex-
ception in the record is provided
Iby Japan, where the reputation
| of the United States for firmness
generosity, and fair dealing has
been nobly upheld. The irony pro-
vided by this exception lies in the
fact that the person most RESPONSE
BILE for our success in Japan-Gen
Douglas MacArthur--is the mar
whose dismissal provoked the in
vestigation in which we have beer
engaged.
Let us briefly recall the his.
torical background against which
this catastrophe was played out
For many years the Far East
was a region of ancient and en-
tfeebled kingdoms. intermittently
Subjected to the impositions anc
rapacity of predatory colonial
powers. In these long-continuec
aggressions the United States hac
never participated. On the con-
trary, the United States had beer
scrupulous in carrying out agree
ments freely negotiated and hat
attained an enviable position II
the esteem of oriental peoples.
Toward the close Of the nine
teenth century. the rivalry OF tht
colonial powers in China had be-
come so intense, the encroach'
ments of Russia on the southern
boundary of Siberia so threaten
ing, that international war seemed
unavoidable.
In this situation the United
States stated in the most categor-
Iical terms the position 1t had as
Sumed in respect to China; it in
sisted upon the integrity Of thai
country. Thereafter, over a perioc
of years. this position was reaf'
firmed.
Examples: The Open Door Note
1899; the Boxer Rebellion Circular
l19OO; the Nine Power Treaty. 1922
ISecretatry Hull's demands on thu
Japanese Ambassadors. 19410
A SeIf-Denying Ordinance,
In effect, the United States II
Its relations with China hat
adopted self-denying ordinance
and so swift was the growth o
american domestic wealth ant
strength that the power Of its ex
ample was a persuasive argumen
against aggression by others.
In 1941. Japan directly chal'
Ilenged the position Of the Unitet
States, and war followed. War il
Europe, for other reasons. was al
Immediate concomitant and th'
Ipreoccupation with the European
war meant that minimum re
sources of men and materiel coult
be devoted to the Pacific con
fiict. With this minimum, tht
Armed Forces Of the United States
land. sea and air-raised th'
far eastern prestige Of Americt
to a height never before attained
Forswearfng all idea of conquest
with the promise of Philippine in.
dependence fulfilled. Americana
could justly say that the reputa.
ltion of their country in the Fal