Milford chronicle., 1955-07-29
Washington Letter
Noble Gesture

There is something less than the
colossal in the announcement that
after four years delay, the Senate
has unanimously approved the re
v!sed Geneva rules for the treat
ment of prisonefs-of-war and civ
flian captives.
Soviet Russia approved the new
conventions a year ago last May
Deputy Under Secretary OF State
Robert ID. Murphy told the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee last
month, and had made good propa-
xanda use of the fact Senator
Knowland reminded his colleagues
OF the reports that the Soviet is
still holding thousands of World
War III prisoners, German and
Japanese as slave laborers. No
one could predict, he said. whether
the Russians might folipw the
new rules after another war.
And then too there are those
hundreds of American POW's in
Red Chinese jails.
Something VIII Come OF 1t
President Eisenhower told his
press conference that he was go
ing to the summit" conference in
Geneva honestly TO present our
case in a conciliatory, in friend
ly attitude, and we don't intend to
reject anything from mere prejn-
dice or turbulence or any other
lesser motive of that kind"
At the garden party given by the
u. S. Embassy in Moscow on the
Fourth OF July, the first American
function ever attended by top
Soviet leaders. Nikita Khrushchev
generally considered the power
behind Premier BuiHanin-asked
to make speech. He told the
guests that the Russians were go
with broken legs" but upright
like soldiers. Hs also said. "If
we talk on an equal basis, all
parties. and II the talks are honest
and sincere. equal to equal, seme
thing will come of it,"
Asked about this speech, the
President denied that anyone in
this Government had said the Rus
sians would attend any conference
In position OF weakness. and
said that we recognized their great
military strength. AS for meeting
in good faith. I'VE would go there
with very hopeful attitudes, but
that hope has got to have greater
food on which to nourish itself
before IL can become anything like
an expectation"
II is reassuring to hear that
President Eisenhower is main
tanning his frequently expressed
attitude of caution toward possible
accomplishments at the summit"
But we can still wonder Just how
much us mere mortafs way down
in the valleys will be told about
these Olympian proceedings. Asked
whether the u. S. would make a
stenographic record of the remarks
of the chiefs of state. and whether
they might be published some day.
the President said: II can't answer
1t. | HADN'T thought of it. | would
say that. for the most of these
conferences. there would be steno-
graphic reports on any official
presentation by any individual"
There might not be such a report. |
he added. on general round table
discussion.
In view of the commotion stirred
up by the belated publication of
the Yalta papers only last March
18th. 1t is difficult to understand
how the President could have failed
to. think of these matters. We GER
tainly hope. If only for his own
protection. that his attitude is not
SO "conciliatory" that Khrushchev
4 Co. can talk him out OF keeping
such a record. 1t should be on tape.
complete voice recordings. not just
stenographic notes.
And 1t should be made public
with minimum of editing.
ehe
This Test Is For Everybody
A four count indictment, charg-
ing the million member United Au-
tomobile Workers. CIO with viola
tion OF Federal election laws. has
been handed down by Federal
grand jury in Detroit. Specifically.
the union is charged with illegal
expenditure of S5.9S5 from its gem
eral fund for TV electioneering
Conviction would mean a fine of
IS. 900 on each count.
Swift response from the union
ceme from Emil Macy. secretary
treasurer. "The UAW deplores
the fact that Republican politici-
fans have been able to use the Fed
eral courts said Mr.. Marcy, Gin
frantic effort to save face fol-
lowing their sound trouncing at
The hands of the voters of Michigan
last fall"
Whether or not the gentleman
may be asking for further trouble
in the form of a contempt of court
citation, is of course for the Judge
to say. But. to quote Mr.. Macy
little further. he goes on to state
that the union welcomes this OPP
portunity to test the validity and