Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-27
Mr.. Dulles Optimism

His Democratic critics have scored
point in declaring that Secretary of State
Dulles sounded excessively optimistic in
his testimony the other day before the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee. At
any rate, judging from international
appearances, there is good reason to feel
that he ought to have attached few
modifying phrases to some of his more
sweeping assertions. including o. that
the free worlds position is stronger now
than year ago, (2) that the Soviet
Unions postwar StaliniSt program has
failed, 81 that the men of the Kremlin
have been forced to adopt far-reaching
policy changes, and az that they have
made very little progress" with their eco
nomic campaign to penetrate South Asia
and the Middle East.
Yet, although all these points seem
overloaded with optimism when stated in
an unqualified manner, the fact remains
that Soviet policy has undergone highly
significant revision. And there can be
little doubt, as the Secretary reafirmed
yesterday in his carefully w6rded Phila-
delphia address, that the revision reflects
recognition by the Kremlin that Stains
methods of intolerance and violence have
been rendered Intellectual and obsolete
by the free worlds unity and armed
strength AS for the threat posed by
Moscow's new economic drive, Mr.. Dulles
has evaluated 1t less offhandedly in his
speech than in his remarks to the Senate
committee. However, reminding every
body that our country still is enormously
10 II
made clear that there is no reason to be
"panicked" by this belated Russian imi-
tation of our own outstanding program
of international aid, and he has per-
suasively argued that it will achieve
nothing of consequence If we and our
allies counter it by doing what we are
fully capable of doing.
This seems to be a sensible, not an
over-optimistic, assessment Of the Soviet
effort to use enticing offers of trade and
economic assistance to subvert and COM
munize the underdeyeloped lands that
are targets of the Kremlin. AS Mr.. Dulles
has said, the leaders of those lands are
not blind. They are well aware of Mos
cows ultimate detectives, and they know
that any help extended to them by the
USSR will be extended at the expense Of
the long suffering Russian people, who
are sorely in need of consumer goods.
Accordingly, If the United States and
allied nations remain strongly united and
deal intelligently with the situation, and
if Congress authorizes more hexiblity
and long-range commitments in our own
foreign aid program, the chances are
better than even that Mr.. KhruShchev
and his colleagues will find themselves
thwarted
If this Is optimism, then 1t is opti-
mism OF reasonable brand. We ought
not to underestimate the still incompa-
rable strength Of America and the West
as whole. In his Philadelphia address
at least, Mr.. Dulles has qualified himself
in way that can hardly be challenged.
Certainly, assuming that the free world
does not fall asleep at the switch, all of
us--aS he says may justifiably look to
the future not with complacency, but
with confidence. Indeed, events may
even vindicate his hopeful view that cur
rent changes in Soviet policy will in due
course lead to major liberalizing trends
in which the Kremlin will put the welfare
Of the Russian people ahead Of It's am
billions for global domination. And in
that case, needless to say, decent inter-
national peace will become not merely
possible but probable.