Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-07-28
A Time for Greatness

Wholly apart from the difficult and deli
cate task of maintaining it effectively against
the ever-present possibility of breaches and
violations, the Korean armistice brings to the
fore a number of related problems and chal-
lengeS that will tax the ingenuity the fore
sight, the wisdom, the will the patience and
the plain horse sense of craftsmanship and
public opinion here in our own country and
throughout the free world.
First of all-in addition to what must be
done to reconstruct and rehablitate devaS-
tated South Korea-there is the problem of
the post-truce political conference which is to
be held 80 days from now. Although its precise
makeup and agenda are still conjectural there
can be little doubt that this conference will
severely test the strength of our interallied
INDEPENDENTLY Anglo-American unity-in
dealing with the Communists, who can be
counted upon to submit proposals and de-
mands calculated to stir up as much dissenSion
as possible on our side.
Thus, despite the fact that Secretary OF
State Dulles has expressed opposition to dis
cussing such issues at the political conference,
there is a strong probability, If not certainty,
that the Communists will insist at that con-
ference on having an end put to the embargo
against Red China, on getting the latter &C
copied as member of the United Nations, and
on working out some kind of agreement re-
vising Formosa's status and underwriting Cen
eralssimo Chang Kai-shek and the Chinese
Nationalist. There are many reasons, of course,
why these and similar demands should be re-
jected, but if they are presented in the form
of an enticing quid-pro-quo package deal-a
deal promising to unity Korea, eliminate the
threat to Indo-China, and promote a general
Far Eastern pacifcation-we may find our
selves unable to turn them down without stimuli
taneously placing a heavy and potentially
dangerous strain on our relations with Britain,
France and other allies in the U. N.
This possibility-taken together with the
implications Of our promise to the Rhee gov
eminent that we will walk out of the political
conference 90 days after it begins If at that
time we are convinced of Communist bad faith
makes obvious the need for interallied states
manship of the highest order. Certainly, few
things could be worse from the standpoint of
the free world-or better from the Soviet
standpoint-than serious split, parting of
the ways between us and our friends over Far
Eastern issues. For such a development, be-
sides disuniting us in Asia, could spread like
contagion and disunite us throughout the At
lantic community as we'll. Needless to say, that
would be long step toward the fulf1llment of
one of the Kremlin's dearest wiShes-the shat
tering of our common defensive build-up, the
dissolution of the great and powerful Western
alliance, the disintegration of the political and
military partnership that is indispensable to
stopping the march of Red totalitarianism.
Accordingly, as Western statesmen prepare
for the post-truce conference, they should
anchor themselves to an unshakeable resolve
not to be hoodwinked and divided by Commu-
mist Establishments and wedge driving. At the
same time, following the lead of their govern
ments, the peoples of the free world should
reckon constantly with the fact that the Ko-
rean armstice, instead of leading to a good
peace, can lead to an unmitigated disaster If
there is a surrender to wishful impulses to
throw off the burdens of defense without fur
ther ado We simply cannot afford to do that.
For the security of all of us, in the United
States and allied countries, demands continuing
vigilance and joint preparedness
It is only on that basis, only if we remain
strong only if we maintain our allied unity,
only if we stay steady in our purpose and hold
fast to our defensive task, that we can hope
to make successful use of the Panmunjom
agreement as a stepping stone toward an en-
during peace in Asia and the world as whole.
The Communists will outmaneuver us other
without war-we must rise to the present occa-
sion wisely, resolutely and with qualities of
greatness. This is no time for narrow minds
or mean and ignoble spirits in the leadership
of the free nations.