Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-24

greater peril. soyS twe-tims Pulitzer
winning reporter On world
tour. Here's his report on where the
United Stotes and the free world
stond todoy.
this stage Of the game. we are los
ing.
And this fact Is true despite the
10 billions of dollars the United
States has poured into foreign aid
programs during the last 10 years.
This Judgment was formed after
1--WE months Of travel into IL coun-
tries strung from Japan to the
Mediterranean. But it's not merely
a personal assessment.
1t represents the majority views
of many Americans and their for
eign friends who are in the front
line of the battle. The Com
munists have the initiative and
they are exploiting 1t at every
opportunity. Not once on this
trip have I heard anyone say the
West is winning.
If there is one single reason for
this state Of affairs, I would say
1t was this:
The United States Government
has not yet aroused the leaders
of independent countries to fight
communism with the same inten-
sity with which the Communists
fight-and the picture Of America
as a symbol Of freedom has been
allowed to grow dim in mems
minds.
We Are Reds forget
In almost every country visited,
the Communists have made the
United States--and Americans
their primary target for abuse.
The strategy follows the classic
military axiom that If the enemy's
strong point is crumbled, the rest
of the defenses will fall Of their
own weight.
without doubt, the lords of the
Moscow Picking axis have pulled
the plug this year in a pressure
drive to shatter the Western mill
tary alliance and to weaken
American influence and prestige
wherever and however they can.
to embarrass Americans singly and
collectively and to promote the use
of force when it is profitable.
The harassment of Americans
has not only been in the bombing
of USIS Libraries, the attacks on
Vice President and Mrs. Nixon,
and the holding of Americans in
captivity. In Greece it has taken
the form Of slashed tires on
American-owned cars. fights with
servicemen deliberately provoked
in bars, and petty annoyances
such as anonymous telephone
calls, designed to upset the
Americans and their families and
to make quick return home look
attractive.
The free nations nave never set
up their own apparatus to fight
communism with the same tactics
used by the Communists-tacticS
which often are subtle but which
Just as often are as crude, direct
and effective as an organized mob.
The basic American line is to
fight communism with dollar aid,
alliances and truth. But I found
many Americans of sober judg-
ment who think we are making
q grave mistake in not meeting
the Communists on their own
grounds where there are no holds
barred. In short, that we should
use the Communists own tactics
in fighting communism around
the world.
This is a bare-knuckle fight"
one American told me, but we
must be gentlemen. Hell, I'm
tired of being a gentleman when
I see the back-alley tactics they're
using against u.s."
New Policy Needed
Over and over I've heard one
theme repeated among groups dis
cussing Americans foreign policy.
It went like this: There must be
a reassessment of foreign policy,
a new look at the handling OF
foreign aid, and a fresh tactical
approach to the cold war.
The argument was: I'VE are
losing with the tactics we've been
employing - therefore something
is wrong. We have the argument
of freedom, government by law,
and respect for the dignity OF the
individual weighted heavily on
our side, but it hasn't been enough.
So let's stand back, take q fresh
look and try to be more realistic.
If we don't we're going to be in
greater trouble than we are"
How is it the Communists have
managed to build up strength and
influence in countries where the
United States has poured millions
upon millions of dollars in aid to
help those countries strengthen
their sovereignty?
Greece is a shocking example.
Ten years ago the Truman doc
trine saved Greece from being
drawn behind the Iron Curtain
and it heralded the Marshall Plan
which bolstered Europe against
the Communists.
The Greek Communist gueril-
las at the end Of World War II
had almost all of the country
within their graSp-all but six
blocks in the center Of Athens. The
British pushed back this threat.
Then American military aid
turned the tide. The Communists
were defeated and Greece seemed
to be safely on the side of the West
with the threat dissipated.
Greece Slipping Back
Today Greece is slipping back.
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