Evening star., 1953-01-23
Mr.. Acheson's Parting Judgment

In closing his turbulent and personally
Furnishing career as Secretary Of State, Dean
Acheson has left behind him what he has
described as "gravely optimistic, not gaily
optimistic" assessment Of the world outlook
particularly as regards free Europe He has
done so in his 50th and last official appearance
before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
and his judgment seems sound enough to en-
courage the hope that events win bear him
out as his successor-John Foster Dulles
carries on from where he has left off,
Mr.. Acheson has made clear to begin with
that he is more hopeful than Mr. Dulles (whose
views may be modified as he comes to grips
with his hard new task about the chances of
,translating into working reality the revolu-
tionary six-nation treaty to organize European
Defense Community and single interna-
tionalized army to be brought within the
command Setup of the North Atlantic Treaty
organization. This treaty has been signed by
France, Italy, West Germany, Belgium, the
Netherlands and Luxembourg and Mr. Acheson
seems more than little confident despite the
recent vacillation displayed in Bonn and Paris
that 1t will be ratified in due course and con-
verted into formidable going concern.
More important still Mr.. Acheson has told
the Foreign Relations Committee that the
NATO alliance is now so strong regardless of
the many weaknesses still troubling it-that the
Atlantic community is relatively safe from being
suddenly overwhelmed. His testimony on this
point-as paraphrased by Senator Wiley, COM
mittee chairman-has emphasized that 1--WE
have now gotten to a position where the
Communist forces in Europe cannot overrun
Europe" without first drawing up new troop
dispositions of type that could not be hidden.
In other words the Soviet Union Is in no posi-
t1on at present to stage a swift and decisive
march westward; instead, to carry out any such
march, 1t would have to resort to build-up so
obvious that we and our allies would be amply
alerted against surprise attack and hence
adequately put on notice to counter it.
This Judgment which apparently has been
based in part on an evaluation drafted by the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, is In line with what
General Ridgway has recently had to say about
the situation. Speaking as NATO's supreme
military commander, he has gone on record
as declaring that our allied armies in Europe
would suffer "grievous blows" if the Russians
struck westward within the next IL or 18
months. However, in answer to a question
whether those armies would be doomed to
defeat" in the event Of such an attack, he has
stated it as his firm belief that Eve would not
be beaten" Mr.. Acheson's testimony has
voiced the same faith. 1t is not an empty or
over -WlShful faith. It recognizes that great
deal remains to be done before the Atlantic
community can consider itself to be reasonably
safe, but it does not discount what has been
already achieved-an achievement that may
well serve, if supported by continued armed
bulld-up, as permanent deterrent to all-out
Soviet aggression.
Now that he has returned to private life,
Mr.. Acheson deserves large share Of credit for
this marked improvement in the security Of the
West. When he first became Secretary, there
was no such security, but in the years that
have since pasSed-in no small measure because
OF his leadership in projects like the NATO
alAance--free Europe and the free world at
large have grown steadily in strength and are
now engaged in common defensive enterprises
that hold out the promise of averting the catas-
trophe OF third global war. Controversial as
he has been, and despite his record in Asia, he
has undeniably given generously of himself to
his country and to the cause of human liberty.
and it seems not improbable that dispassionate
history will accord him much higher place in
the story Of these times than would be awarded
by contemporary Judgment.