Evening star., 1954-06-06
Eisenhower Will Employ
Controls in New War
Writer Says Trumon Mistakes
Are to Be Avoided

Writer Says Truman Mistakes
Are to Be Avoided
By Fronk R. Kent
Whether or not we are going to be-
come involved in Inlo-China as we
were In Korea is not q question any
one can answer definitely. However,
in well-informed circles the chances
are regarded as at least $3.50. Under
these circumstances it goes without
saying that we are prepared. for the
worst. Those who assert that we have
no Indo-C China policy and thus will be
caught hat-footed and surprised simply
do not know what they are talking
about.
There are two things to be said
about the existing situation. One is
that we are not going to sit still while
all Southeast Asia falls under Commu-
mist control. The other is that If we
go into another war-or take the risk
Of going into one-we are not going
to repeat the costly and inexcusable
mistakes of the past. To do so would
who man our Government today are
not idiots: nor are they incompetents.
Quite the reverse. Therefore, you may
be sure Of three things-one is that
they fully grasp the dangers; two, that
every possible and honorable way Of
avoiding war will be exhausted; three.
that If and when that stage has been
reached, there will be no delay. no
weakening and no timidity about our
attitude.
There will be action, and there will
be no halfway measures. In brief
the man who will make the ultimate
decisions for us is a man who be-
lieves in the soundness of a statement
made several years ago by Sir Winston
Churchill at private dinner in New
York when he said, in effect, "the way
and the only way, to deal with Russia
Is to give her an ultimatum-to draw O
line and say that Is as far as you can
go and no farther. If you cross that
line, you have got to fight" But, said
Sir Winston, "you must not say that
unless you fully mean it and unless you
are ready and determined to fight with
everything you have and to the limit"
And then he added, IF you say that and
fully mean 1t you won't have to fght"
In brief. we are not going to capitu-
late, appeaSe or surrender. The over
whelming sentiment of Americans Is
against that-and the thinking Of those
who run this Government from Presi-
dent down is in tune with that senti-
ment. We want peace; we are against
war-but there are worse things than
war. Chief of these is living In q
Communist-dominated world. Realiza-
ton Of this is the reason this Govern
ment has made up its mind to fight II
there is no way honorably to negotiate.
We are not going to fight alone and
we are not going to fight without a
concurring Congress, but If the Red
Chinese and their Russian hackers go
across the line where our own safety
is clearly involved, that we will fight
few doubt.
An interesting and significant thing
that confirms this line of reasoning Is
the thought being given in high admin
istration circles to our domestic policies
in event Of war. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
with the new atomic weapons-it Is
agreed we are prepared. Nevertheless,
there is firm conviction in the White
House that military preparedness can
not exist unless based upon a sound
Federal fiscal foundation. Accordingly.
there exists a strong determination not
to repeat the tragic Truman mistakes.
It will be recalled that when at the
start of the Second World War sweep
ing war powers were conferred upon the
then President, among which were those
advocated by B. M. Baruch, giving him
power to impose a ceiling on rents,
food prices and wages.
Upon our entrance into the Korean
war similar powers were granted Mr..
Truman-but so far as wages were con-
cerned. he never used them. This. Of
course. did not surprise politicians who
knew that Mr.. Truman was only nom
mated for Vice President after he had
been cleared" by the CIO leaders in
1914 and whose political tie-up with
them was complete. Failure to put
ceilings on wages and food prices. ac-
cording to Mr.. Baruch. led not only to
literally hundreds OF strikes during the
war. but to an imitation that unneces-
sarily cost the country upward of
hundred billion dollars. Should a SIM
liar crisis arise, this administration Is
determined not to permit this to hap
pen again.
This statement of Mr.. Baruch that
more than hundred billion dollars had
been the cost Of the failure Of Mr.. Tru-
man to exercise the powers that Con-
gress gave him has never been chal-
lenged. 1t has been printed many times.
but neither from the labor bosses nor
the Truman liberals" has there been
an answer. Everybody-and especially
the President-hopes there will not be
another war emergency-andt there are
real grounds for hopes. However. If one
comes, we should be everlastingly grate-
full that it does not find us with another
man in the White House under the
labor boss influence.