Evening star., 1953-03-05
The Political Mill
The Political Mill
Senate 6. o. P. Torget:
Democrats or Reds?
Hoir-SpIitting Republicans
ToneIine With History
By Gould Lincoln

Senate Republicans should make up
their minds whether they want most
to shoot at the Democrats-or at the
Red Russians.
The Republicans in the upper house
have so far shown themselves unwilling
to go along with President Eisenhower
in the adoption Of resolution which
merely denounceS RuSSia'S failure to
allow peoples in Russian occupied terri
tory to elect governments of their own
choosing denounces Russia for
the enslavement of these peoples under
Communist rule. Rather, they preferred
to amend this resolution in order to take
a crack at the agreements entered into
with Russia by Roosevelt and Truman.
Not unnaturally, the Democrats in the
Senate do not relish the amendment.
Some OF them have stated fatty they
will not vote for the resolution-with
the amendment - although perfectly
willing to go along with the resolution
in its original form.
Fear Burglar Under Bed
The hair-splitting Republicans in
sisted on their amendment because, they
say, they did not want to take any
action that might be construed as "val-
idating" the Roosevelt Truman agree
ments with Russia. On the face Of the
resolution, it does no such thing. The
Republican Senators, however, fear
there may be burglar" under the bed.
So because of that fear-or because
they would like to take an opportunity
to throw little mud at the last two
Democratic ministrations-they have
jeopardized bipartisan foreign policy a
closing of ranks at the waters edge.
They have also taken a sock at the lead
ership of President Eisenhower and his
Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles.
The resolution, If it is to have any ef-
feet on world sentiment, and particu-
larly on the peoples that have been en-
slaved by the Russian Communists.
should be passed with unanimity, or
virtual unanimity, by both houses of
Congress. 1t would be much better. as
Secretary Dulles has commented, not to
have the resolution brought to a vote
at all-if it is to be passed by narrow
margins in either or both houses.
Republicans, with justification, 1t
appears to this writer. have denounced
the Roosevelt and Truman admins
trations for playing into the hands Of
the Russian Reds-and more recently
for playing into the hands of the
Chinese Reds. These administrations
entered into some agreements which
the Russians had no intention of keep
ing, and they agreed unwisely to turn
over certain territory to the Russians
in the Far East. The Republicans do
not wish to appear in any way to place
their seal Of approval on these agree
mentS.
No Chances Taken.
In the case of the Eisenhower resolu-
tion, however, they are taking no
chances of doing this. There is nothing
in the resolution which either validateS
or invalidateS the agreements entered
into at Yalta and Potsdam-chief tar
gets of the Republicans. Secretary
Dulles has pointed this out. But the
Republicans have declined to follow
the Eisenhower lead. Politically, this
is not too good. Indeed, it is not good
at all. The Democrats, with tongue in
cheek, proclaim themselves better sup
porterS Of the popular President than
the members of his own political party.
They are delighted to see a wedge
driven between the President and the
Republicans on Capitol Hill. It may
be a small wedge to start, but the
Democrats hope to follow 1t with q
larger one.
The incident of the enSlaved peoples
resolution is not yet closed. Some Re-
publican Senators, who have been will.
ing to follow the Eisenhower lead but
who hoped that the Democrats. having
opposed the amendment in committee
and lost, would yet go along with the
amended resolution, are pressing for
solution, formula which will satisfy
both Republicans and Democrats. Presi.
dent Eisenhower himself may give the
necessary leadership out Of this politi-
cal moraSS.
But one thing seems clear-foreign
policy has by no means been removed
from the political field. And this is
true at time when Gen. Eisenhower
is likely to need the closest and solidest
backing in world situation that may
become increasingly involved after the
death of Stain, when that happens.