Evening star., 1953-04-18
Eisenhower and the World

Judging from overseas press reports, the
nations of the free world have reacted with
great enthusiasm to President EiSenhower's
eloquent address on "the highway to peace"
This is not surprising. After all, he has set
forth program that could open up an age OF
unprecedented progress for the whole of man
kind if only the Soviet Union would agree to
cooperate.
Whatever the Kremln's response may be
and it will be awaited with the keenest interest
everywhere-there can be no doubt that the
President has struck responsive chord among
all peoples and governments aware that war,
in the modern age, has ceased to be profitable
for anybody. Indeed, besides having become
improbable, it has reached a point where a
total waging of it could literally obliterate
civilization and conceivably put an end to the
human race in an unimaginable nightmare of
annihilation caused by atomic weapons hydro
gen bombs and other instruments of mass
destruction.
It is against the background of this bleak
possibility that General Eisenhower has spoken
out resoundingly for decent, just and an
enduring peace. What he has had to say in that
respect has deeply impressed our friends abroad
for two reasons: Q) Because it has dissipated
the rather widespread notion-resultng from
loose interpretations of loose statements made
in last years presidential campaign-that his
administration might engage in impetuous or
reckless foreign operations capable of precipi-
tating global war, and (2) because it has
clearly defined program of affirmative action
designed to do away with international fear and
tension and to substitute for vast expenditures
on arms great cooperative effort to promote
human betterment-in terms of food, health,
schools and higher living standards in every
form-throughout all parts of the world.
In effect, with a forcefulneSs that is bound
to have a marked impact everywhere in the
theological contest between our world and
theirs, the President has thus challenged the
men Of the Kremlin to make major revision
in Soviet policy and join in building good
peace. To that end, he has called upon them
to back up their conciiatory words with such
concrete evidence of sincerity as a clear willing
ness to work out truce in Korea, pacify Asia,
break the Austrian Staemate, start lifting the
Iron Curtain and negotiate a settlement to
establish a genuinely "free and united" Ger
many. Given evidence of that kind, the United
States, he has pledged, will be ready and eager
to enter into "the most solemn agreements" to
reduce and regulate armed forces and arms
of every type-includng atomic-under truly
effective system of strict international control
and inspection.
Over and above all this the President has
declared that If the Soviet Union demonstrates
good faith if it co-operates in organizing
sound peace, the United States Government
will ask the American people "to join with all
nations in devoting substantial percentage
of any savings achieved by real disarmament to
fund for world aid and reconstruction" This
fund, as he explained would be used to
help develop the underdeveloped areas, to
stimulate profitable and fair international trade
and ito assist all peoples to know the blessings
of productive freedom"
Past American policy has advocated es
sentially the same kind of program as President
Eisenhower's but he has presented it to the
world in uniquely appealing package form,
and with an obvious earnestness that lends
great weight to it. That is why it has received
a particularly good reception in the free ma
tions. The men of the Kremlin can hardly
afford to sfrug it off. Their reaction to 1t will
be revealing measure of the genuineneSs, or
the falsity, of their olive-branch gestures.