Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-06

Port THE Compelling Need
Fundamental United States
ObjectiveS
Among the fundamental pur-
poses of our Government. as ex-
pressed in the Constitution, are
to Provide for the common
defense, promote the General
welfare, and secure the blessings
of liberty to ourselves and our
posterity.
Our foreign policy must serve
these purposes.
Today, in a world shrinking
in time and space. our expert
ence in three foreign wars in
less than half-a-century and
the persistent threat of Com
munist power in many parts OF
the earth demonstrate the need
for collective action with ma
tions which share our aspira-
tons for world peace.
1t is to meet this need that
our collective security programs
have been designed. Against de-
termined aggreSsorS. strength is
vital. In building strength. an
association of those who believe
in collective action is of first
Importance. The United States
with only 6 per cent of the
worlds population - needs the
aid of other countries. just as
they need our assistance.
Defense Proved Necessary
The Sino-Soviet bloc is dedi-
Gated to totalitarian rule and to
imperialist expansion. 1t en-
ploys armed might. economic
penetration. and psychological
and subversive programs to OBJ
tain its ends. So the free world,
of which we are a substantial
part. must remain strong enough,
and flexible enough. to counter
all of these threats as they &C.
cur.
Following World War II, the
United States almost overnight,
liquidated the most powerful mil
itary machine which had ever
existed. The Soviet Union. how
ever, did not disarm; and within
an amazingly short period OF
time. 800 millions of people be-
came the hostages of commu-
niSm.
The chain of events-in Fin
land. the formerly independent
Baltic states. Eastern Europe at
wars end, China. Iran. Greece
and Turkey. CZechoslovakia,
Berlin. Korea, Viet-Nam, Guate-
mala, and more recently in Po-
land and Hungary-unmasked
Soviet imperialism. with its ruth
less threats to human rights and
dignity and its determination to
destroy freedom wherever posi-
BILE.
The countermeasures of the
Truman doctrine. the Marshall
Plan. the Berlin airlift, the VAN
denberg resolution. our resist
ance to armed aggression in
Korea. our membership in and
association with a worldwide
network of defense alliances,
and finally the proposed Eisen-
hover doctrine for the Middle
East are all in recognition of our
responsibilities. Today 40 ma
lions have been brought into the
network of defense alliances
which are designed TO protect
against aggression. Stable con-
tributions by all the participants
are required for the effectiveness
of this structure.
-. But armed force alone is
not enough: nor can it by itself
prevail in the long run. Long
range success lies in demonstrate
ing that a free system is far
superior to an authoritarian one
in providing better-living con-
ditions and the individual OPP
portunities which people so
deeply desire. This demands
continuing emphasis on eco
nomic development.
The Marshall Plan recognized
this principle. and in our opinion
1t spanked the cooperative eff
fort which-more than any
other single factor--saved West
ern Europe from disaster. More
over, it contributed to a remark
ably successful economic recov-
cry.
In a number Of countries, how
ever. the capacity for saving is
as yet so slight, and the need for
capital SO great, that foreign in
vestment is essential-just as it
was in the development of the