Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-22

Editors here yesterday:
Peace and security are the Ma
TONS most important business.
Yet nowhere has our Govern
ment told us less and kidded us
more. 1t has used foreign policy
for political purposes at home.
Unwilling to admit its failures,
It has been unwilling to take us
into its confidence. ReverseS have
been painted as victories. And If
the administration has not sue
ceeded in misleading the enemy,
1t has succeeded wonderfully we'll
In misleading US.
When the Eisenhower admin
istration first came to power,
there was considerable talk about
operation candor"-they were
going to tell us the facts of in
ternational life and national de-
Tense. But since then operation
candor" has been replaced by
Operation bromide"-by vague
and comforting assurances to al
lay anxiety and persuade us that
we were comfortably ahead in
the ornaments race and had the
love and esteem of our fellow
men.
Was Secretary Dulles inform
ing u or misleading US when
he told a House Committee on
June 10, 1855, that the Soviet
Union was ION the point of COL
lapsing"? Was he giving us the
facts when he said last Novem-
Der 80 that I'VE have the initia-
tive, very distinctly" in the Mid
die East and South Asia? Was
he serious when he told the
Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee as recently as February
"a that the free world is in a
stronger position than it was a
year ago and that the new So
Wet economic and political chal-
lenge was a confession Of failure?
Was he the responsible Secre-
tary of State of the greatest
power in the world when he
recently boasted that he and
the President had conducted the
Nation three times to the brink
Of war and then averted catas-
trophe by his own peerless
craftsmanship?
We must do better than this.
Underlying every other freedom,
especially freedom of the press.
Is the freedom to know. to know
the facts, especially the facts
about our own prospects for life
or for death.
"Given the focts, Americans will
not retreat in confusion
Given the facts, Americans
will not retreat in confusion or
dissolve in terror, but will re-
Spond with determination to do
whatever is necessary to assure
the Nations safety.
And it is about some Of the
things which I think we must do
and not do to insure the Nations
safety that l want to talk with
you today.
Let me commence with a
speech Pre- sident Eisenhower
made to this society here in
Washington on THE Chance for
Peace" exactly three years ago.
1t Endorsed the principles which
had guided American policy since
1945 under President Truman;
1t placed the blame for the fears
that gripped the world squarely
on the Soviet government. and
Stain, who had died a few weeks
earlier; and it held out to the
new Soviet rulers a chance to
work with us in building a hope
full future for mankind. You
hailed it in your papers as the
authentic voice Of leadership in
the new administration. Your re-
porters described the response as
one Of universal acclaim"
What has happened? What
has gone wrong since that
speech?
But first. let US try to recall
hurriedlv the context Of that
Speech-what our position was
three years ago when it was de-
livered.
You will remember how, in one
act of constructive statesman
ship after another, President
Humans administration met
the post war challenges and
crises.
The United Nations and new
international order came into
existence with tireless Amer
lean encouragement.
Western Germany was forged
into a strong nation, with a
democratic constitution and a
self-supporting economy.
Japan was re-established with a
humanitarian co Institution
dedicated to the arts of peace.
In 1947. when Russian power
threatened the Eastern Med
iterranean. the Truman Doc
trine was proclaimed and
Greece and Turkey were saved.
Then there followed q bold
oct of craftsmanship ;"
Then there followed in dra-
matte succession the Marshall
Plan-a bold act of statesman
ship that revived the economy
the self-esteem and defenses of
Western Europe. to their benefit
and ours: President Truman's
Point Four Program. which gave
new hope to the underdevelopec
nations and underprivileged peo-
Piles of the world: the North At
lantic Treaty Alliance, which
confronted Russia in the West
not only with economic strength