Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-10
Time to Give Facts

and more specifically over the question
of whether important amounts of war
making goods are being shipped from the
West to Communist countries, has become
intense 1t threatens, because of a grow
ing irritation between the legislative and
executive branches, to jeopardize admin
iStration plans for our foreign economic
and military aid programs But more
Importantly, if critics of the present East
West trade pattern are correct, there is
a genuine threat to peace and national
security. Unfortunately all of the facts
involved are not openly on the record.
In August, 1854, the United States
agreed-under admitted pressure from its
West European allies-to relaxation OF
trade controls with Communist European
countries. The relaxation amounted to
disembargoing or downgrading Of con-
trolls on approximately 200 of the $50
items previously restricted in East-West
trade. The action was defended then
by Harold E. StaSsen, American repre-
sentative in the decontrol negotiations,
on the grounds it would result in net
advantage to the free world of expanded
peaceful trade and more effective control
of the war-potential items"
More recently, the Senate Permanent
Investigating Subcommittee has been
examining this action and its conSe-
quenceS. On the basis of this inquiry.
Chairman Mcclellan of Arkansas has
disputed fatty Mr.. StaSSen'S conclusion,
has charged that astounding secret
concessions" were made by our Govern
ment in the negotiations and has asserted
that strategic items of great war-making
value are being sold by our Western allies
to the European Communist bloc. He has
charged, further, that the executive
branch is withholding the true facts from
Congress and from the American people.
And he has said that he cannot vote for
further foreign aid $50 long as this vital
information is suppressed"
Mr. Mcclellan and those who have
expressed agreement with him in the
Senate are not blind to certain facts in
this situation. One, pointed out by Presl-
dent Eisenhower in his news conference,
is that our West European allies are ma
tions that need an export market for their
products We do not provide that market
because we are a producing nation also.
+ VI Vic lllSGOllC III duC pdOGC4A
in Europe is that of East-West exchange.
The second basic fact, as explained to the
committee by Secretary of Commerce
Weeks, is that the United States has no
power beyond that of persuasion to make
multilateral trade controls effective. Our
own trade with the Communist bloc is
minute, but we cannot order our allies
to desist to the same extent
There remains, however, the question
of whether the true and full story is being
revealed to the Congress and to the Amer
lean people. 1t clearly is not. Mr.. Weeks,
admitting that he personally would pre-
fer tougher international controls, has
declined to give the committee the work
ing papers" of an interdepartmental
group which recommended the American
position. Defense Department experts
have told the Senate committee that
strategic war making tools and metals
are now flowing to the Iron Curtain
countries. The stakes behind this con-
troversy are vital ones. Explanations OF
why we agreed to decontrolS, half
denials of what has happened since, and
classification" of information apparently
easily available to everybody except the
Congress and the American people are
not good enough 1t is time all the facts
were disclosed.