Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-12
THE WORLD SCENE

The burdens of leadership in the
free worlds fight for survival are
becoming more and more painfully
apparent to the United States as
developments all over the world
press inevitably on Washington for
decisions.
To the officials of the State
Department. last week was not one
Of major challenge. No explosive
crisis, as Of the moment. demanded
immediate action. But al over
the world significant events were
taking place. and in almost every
case the attitude of the United
States was of major importance to
their outcome.
In London. thorny questions Of
disarmament called for policy deci-
sions on the highest levels. Linked
to the London talks. but entirely
separate in emotional appeal, was
the troublesome matter of the con-
tinuation of atomic test blasts, a
question rich in propaganda appeal
to the Soviet Union.
In Central America, Nicaragua
and Honduras made threatening
gestures-and fired a few shots
at each other. In another part Of
Uncle Sans back yard, Colombia.
FESTIVE under the stern military
dictatorship of Gen. Gustavo Rojas
Pinilla, ended the week under the
rule of a military junta after days
of bloody violence.
In the Far East. an American
decision to station guided missiles
with atomic warheads on Taiwan
(F'ormosa) brought inevitably a
bristling response from Communist
China.
In Rome the pro- Western, mod
crate cabinet of Premier Antonio
Segni resigned when the right
wing Socialists led by Giuseppe
Saragat withdrew support from
Mr.. Segni's shaky coalition. In
Paris the newly born Euratom-the
atomic pool shared by six nations
working toward European unity.
proposed q far-reaching plan for
atomic power plants dependent. to
a great extent, on major American
cooperation.
In Washington a United States
concession to our allies relaxing, to
a limited extent. existing barriers
to trade with the Communist bloc
irritated them because Of its con-
servatism.
And on Capitol Hill the Eisen-
hover administration tried hard to
head OF q determined attack on
foreign aid, urged restoration Of a
major slash in funds for the United
States Information Agency. which
is charged with presenting the
American case abroad, and faced
q possible rejection or Gripping Of
a key measure. first proposed to
the world by Mr.. Eisenhower him.
self: The statute creating an inter-
national atomic energy agency.
(See story by Fred Theroux on
this page)
In the Middle East, where the
Vests stake in the maintenance
Of little Jordan's independence was
apparently safe for the moment. by
elections In Syria were Of no COM
fort whatever. Leftist. pro-Soviet
candidates won in every case against
Western. conservative candi-
dates. The Suez Canal was busy
again, operating under Col. Nasser's
terms, and the Dulles-created Suez
Canal Users Association had ac-
quiesced to the Egyptian nat. with
France the only dissenter.
James p. Richards. former South
Carolina Representative chosen by
Mr.. Eisenhower to sell the "Eisen-
hover doctrine" on the Middle East
to the nations it is supposed to
protect, returned from his journeys
to report partial success, but ex-
pressed doubt that the hopes Of the
Arab nations for extensive financial
aid could be satisfied.
Congress on Thursday heard
President Ngo Dinh Diem of South
Wet Nam explain that his country
was under great economic pressure
in its fight to keep all Of Indo-China
from Communist rule. From law
makers obviously sensitive to con-
stituents' budget-cutting demands.
the sturdy Viet-Namese Presidents
appeal brought only mild applause.
All Of these. and some minor"
matters such as the Soviet expul-
sion of a United States diplomat
the nth this year-from the Mos
COW Embassy. engaged the stten-
ton Of our foreign policy pilots last
week. No questions of world i'm
portance in the cold war were set
tied, nor were any new ones raised.
But the unenviable role Of the
United States as the undisputed
ball-carrier Of the non Communist
worlds team was never more APP
parent.