Evening star., 1952-08-14
The POLITICAL Min

problems OF Far East
Little Known to Voters
Dewey's Story Of Travels Aids
Understanding Of Policies
By Gould Lincoln
HYANNIS, Mass, Aug. 14-During
the coming presidential campaign, for
eign policy, particularly in the Far East,
will in all probability become a major
issue. So little are the problems Of
this area and the vital Importance Of
these problems known to the American
voter he and she could read, not only
with intense interest but also with great
value to understanding of the situations
in this vast area. the recently published
Journey to the Far Pacific" of Gov.
Thomas E. Dewey Of New York.
At the time Gov. Dewey made his
41,000-mile trip which carried him into
II republics, kingdoms, territories and
colonies. suggestions were made that the
Governor was preparing himself to be-
come. Secretary of State, either in the
Truman administration or in Repub-
lican administration should the G. o. p.
win the presidential election of 1852.
There has been nothing to indicate that
Gov. Dewey ever had any such idea in
mind.
It is impossible. however, to read Gov.
Deweys story of his travels, his in.
quiries into conditions in these far lands,
his interviews with the men who are
in authority there and fail to UNDER
stand better the desperate struggle now
being waged to prevent the free peoples
OF Asia, particularly Southeast Asia and
islands adjacent to the continent from
falling under Russion Communist dom.
nation. The struggle for us is, of course,
manifest in Korea.
Gives Overall Picture.
But Gov. Dewey's description Of the
warS-guerrilla wars for the most part,
but seriouS-which are being waged by
the Communists in the Philippines,
1ndo- China, Malaga, Indonesia, and to a
more limited extent in Japan, gives an
overall picture of the gigantic effort
which is being put forward by Moscow.
From reading of the book it appears
that important steps are being taken to
build up the defense of these still free
peoples OF the Pacific area-some 300,-
100000 in number. Gov. Dewey's in
slstance, however, seems to be that
the efforts, both on our part and
on the part Of the peoples af-
fected shall not lag, but rather be in
tenSifled. In his opinion. after careful
study, it would be disastrous should the
Chinese Reds, Kremlin directed, be per-
mitted to obtain peace terms in Korea
that would be tantamount to victory.
1t would be disastrous in the extreme
If Formosa were permitted to come into
the hands of the Chinese Reds-disas-
trouS to our own chain of defense. Fur
thermore, to permit the Chinese Reds
to overrun and dominate Indo-C China,
Malaga and Indonesia, the great food
basket of the Pacific, would not only give
the Russian Communists control of the
whole Asian continent, but would make
it possible for them to move over to
Japan and to seize next the Philippines.
cut of Australia and New Zealand, and
threaten Hawaii and Alaska and our
own home coast.
Gov. Dewey was impressed with the
cleverneSS and the vaStneSS of the Krem.
Inns propaganda drive-and the failure
of the United States and the other free
nations to Offset it, in this great Pacific
area, except in exceedingly small meas.
ure. He reported that he had been in.
formed Russian Communists are SPEND
ing as much on their propaganda and
SubverSive work in other countries as
they are spending on their entire mill
tary preparation and .upkeep Of their
armed forces.
"Route to Slavery"
"In every country I visited" wrote
Gov. Dewey, II ached to have q genu.
inely effective anti-Red propaganda pro-
gram reaching the people under native
sponsorship. We should be saying: You
are now free. You have thought the
French or the British or the Dutch, as
the case may be, were tyrants. But now
you know they developed your country
and you have your freedom. Don't ex.
change your independence for Russian
tyrant. Don't fall for a native leader
who takes his orders from Moscow. It
is the route to slavery"
America, with its great statesmen. Gov.
Dewey added, surely can convince people
that the United States represents their
own hopes and aspirations. Particularly
with the Philippines independence story
to relate to them.
The New York Governor, in his ac-
count of his visit to Indo-C China, strips
away the myth that Ho Chi Mimi, lead
er Of the so-called revolutionists, is q
patriot, seeking freedom for his people.
He is. as a matter Of fact. ruthless
Communist traitor. As far back as
1916 he was active in Communist circles
in Paris, and he has been an agent Of
the Russian Communists for years. This
is something, Gov. Dewey points out.
which many native Americans and
others have wholly overlooked.