Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-21
Pointing With Pride

The Republican platform committee
has drafted tentative plank on foreign
policy that at least has the virtue OF
using fewer words than the one adopted
by the Democrats in Chicago. 1t also has
the virtue of resorting to considerably
less campaign oratory. And to that extent,
although it has its shortcomings, it seems
superior in tone and spirit.
But it is bootlesS to draw invidious
comparisons in matters of this kind.
Political platforms being what they are,
it is not really surprising that the Dem
ocratic plank "a sort of vote getting
catchall made up of glaring inconsistent
cieS designed to please everybody-takeS
an excessively alarmiSt view of what the
Eisenhower administration has done in
ternationally in the past four years. Nor
is it surprising that the Republicans, as
the "inS" responsible for American foreign
policy, have pointed with a surplus OF
pride to what they describe as great
achievements (which enable our people
to enjoy the blessings of liberty and
peace"
In other words, like its Democratic
counterpart, the proposed Republican
foreign policy plank-which probably will
be adopted without substantial change
at the San Francisco convention-iS full
OF Self-serving exaggerationS and over
simplidcationS. Certainly, in the first
half of its text, it points too pridefully,
too reaSsuringly, to the status of peace
and freedom in all the key areas of the
globe. It's generalities in that respect,
especially as regards Southeast Asia, the
Middle East and the strength of the
Atlantic alliance, are obviously open to
sharp challenge. For the simple fact is
that the long-range international outlook
definitely appears to be much less bright
than the plank'S drafterS have suggested
in one optimistic paragraph after another.
To its credit, however, the second half
of the plank emphasizes that the world
is still "fraught with peril" and that the
United States, together with it's friends
and allies abroad, must carry out the
closest kind of political, economic and
military cooperation to preserve freedom.
Among other things, besides opposing Red
ChinaS admission to the United Nations
and reafarming the need for continuing
effort to reunify Germany and liberate
the satellite states by peaceful means, the
plank warns of the dangers inherent in
the Arab-Israeli problem, pledges friend
ship to both sides and promises to support
the Jewish state against aggression. But
the Republicans, unlike the Democrats,
have thus far wisely refrained from max
ing any specific offer to ship defensive
arms to Israel
Another point worth noting is that
the Republicans, while praising them
selves, have voiced a resolve to continue
the bipartisan development" of American
foreign policy. In their Chicago platform,
of course, the Democrats have excoriated
the Eisenhower administration for letting
such bipartiSanship wither on the vine,
but facts do not support the charge.
Actually, when the presidential campaign
is over, our two great parties-regardless
of their differing international planks-
will still be united on essentials in dealing
with world problems Our friends abroad,
and our potential enemies as we'll, should
not allow our current politicking to
obscure that fact.