Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-21

First, the President expressed
this country's passion for peace.
He did so in a manner BETTING
his office. He spoke for all of US.
Second, the President gave us
q reassuring picture Of progress
and peace in the world today.
! think it unfortunate that he
chose again to state only half
the facts.
When he pointed with salts
faction to "the free nation OF
Wet Nam" he left out the fact
that half of that nation. more
than 10 million people. has been
lost to the Communists.
When he talked of defending
Formosa, which he said had
been previously written of" he
must have forgotten that it was
President Truman who sent the
18th Fleet to defend Formosa.
And when he talked proudly
of progress in the total wal
upon the forces of poverty
and need" in the world which he
declared four years ago. We
could only wonder what wal
this is that has been waged or
poverty and need--for the en-
phasis of late has been so largely
military.
Mid East UnmentiOned
When he said 1--WE have seer
an end to the old pattern 81
tragedy" he left out any refer.
ence to the ominous tension.
which today mark Africa and the
Middle East.
However, the reassuring tont
about the realities of the worlc
in the Presidents speech has q
long line of uninterrupted prec-
edents. In January. 1854. fol
instance, Mr.. Eisenhower told us
there had been "a great strategic
change in the world during the
past year. That precious in
tangible, the initiative, is be-
coming ours"
That was nice to hear, OF
course, but it did not prepare us
for the disaster that befell us a
few months later in Indo- China
And when President Eisenhow-
er returned from the Summit
Conference in Geneva, he en-
couraged the happy illusion that
a new era had began. But later
events quickly shattered those
rosy predictions.
Cites Russian FOOthOId
And even last night the Press.
dents passing reference TO Sue
gave no hint of the awesOme fact
that within the past few months
Russia has gained the footholc
in the Middle East she has sought
for centuries.
1 do not believe that a politica
campaign excuses the Presiden
himself from a more objective
candor about the state of affair'
in the world.
Finally, the President men
toned, and dismissed CURLY, GER
tain proposals for adjusting ou
military policies to current con
ditionS and to the overriding
purpose of taking the initiativ
for peace. He referred specificall.
to two proposals I have made
with the same sincerity 1 an
happy to grant him--one tina
the United States take the Leaf
in promoting curtailment by al
nations of hydrogen bomb tests
the other, that our Government
consider whether, in view of thI
changing requirements of mill
tary technology. our presen
draft policies are the right anc
permanent way of meeting oul
military manpower needs.
Injustice Charged
The President did both of VI
an injustice by stating these pro-
posals with misleading impli-
cations.
When he called the proposal tt
spare humanity the incalculablt
effects of unlimited hydrogen
bomb testing a theatrical ma.
tional gesture" he indicted not
only me but churchmen and pc.
litical leaders the world over in
Guiding Pope Plus XII, repre-
sentatives of the Baptist. Uni
tartan. Quaker and Methodist
Churches. Commissioner Murray
of the Atomic Energy Commits
sion, Sir Anthony Eden and
many other sincere and thought
full persons in the United States
and abroad who have made SIM
liar proposals.
If the President intends to
foreclose debate on these pro-
posals I think he does the Ma
ton a disService and I must dis
sent and persist in my efforts
to invite public attention to
matters of such grave concern
as the hydrogen horror and ma
tional security.
Quotes Dulles on Peace
AS for peace itself. if the
President sought to suggest that
this is an issue in this campaign,
would refer to the words of
another: "As far as peace is con-
cerned, I never knew that peace
was a controversial or partisan
subject with the American peo-
pie" These we're the words of
his Secretary of State, Mr.,
Dulles, on November 90, 1855.
Now to return to- the signifi-
canoe Of the kickoff of the Re-
publican campaign. The most
interesting part Of it was Presi-
dent Eisenhower's sending of
Vice President Nixon and his
associates with the admonition--
almost wistful. I thought-that
they should stick to telling the
truth. He couldn't have chosen
a better audience for that ad-
vice!
I do not mean. however. &c
deal lightly with this PROPOSE
ton Of the Presidents, If he
can make his admonition stick