Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-19

NOI NCGCSSufHy ~
Assistant Secretary Of State Andrew
Berding takes very dim view OF the
Soviet notion that the way to end the
cold war is to forget the past, wipe the
slate clean and start afresh. In an ad-
dress to the National Association Of
Broadcasters, Mr.. Berding put 1t this
way:
There Is something beguiling in this
approach. But 1t is childish to expect
that the obscuring Of the past In a po-
lite silence can nurture anything more
than an eventual worsening OF the rela-
tons between our world and that of the
Communists.
TO this, one might reply: why9
Why should fresh start, with the past
buried necessarily lead to a worsening
of relations? And, as a second question,
II we are not willing to undertake this
fresh start, Just what is 1t that we pro-
pose to do?
The answers will not be found in
the published versions of Mr.. Berding's
address, His emphasis Is on what we
cannot do, or must not do. He has little
to offer on the point Of what can be
done and must be done. Yet 1t is the
latter consideration which urgently re-
quires our attention.
To refuse to wipe the slate clean
and make fresh start implies that
there is something which can be done,
besides the offering up of pious hopes,
- Yx.I1 IA ct yU6of DC 40 IF ic O
fine thing to say that we "desire" for
the people in countries under Soviet
domination true freedom, genuine ma
tional independence, and ability to es-
tablish whatever form of government
and economic and social institutions
they wish" But have we any plan or
method by which this objective is to
be attained?
Mr.. Berding backs away fearfully
from Mr.. Khrushchev's talk of peace
full coexistence." He says that to accept
peaceful coexiStence means accepting
the status quo whereby the Soviet Union
dominates a Communist bloc of ma
tions." We think that this, at least in
the short run, Is true. To state the
proposition, however, does not relieve
us of the obligation to come forward
with an alternative. If it is our policy
to prefer continuation of the cold war,
with the accompanying risk of real
war, that is one thing. But II this is
not our policy, then it is appropriate
to restate the question: What do we
propose?
For our part, we do not think the
United States need shrink from accept
ing the challenge of peaceful coexist-
ence. This, of course, would involve
risks, and undoubtedly would mean
continued struggle with the Communist
bloc in its drive for world domination.
But this Communist effort will con-
tinue in any circumstance, and we are
not willing to assume that acceptance
of the challenge of peaceful coexistence
necessarily insureS ultimate success for
the Communists.
If the free nations will make the
effort they can hold their own in this
competition, and they are doomed in
any event if they lack the will to make
that effort. Furthermore, we prefer to
believe that the ferment which is at
work in this world is propelling all OF
us toward more freedom, more oppor-
turity and better life. Mr.. Khrush-
chev seems to believe this, and we doubt
that he thinks the process can be re-
versed to any significant degree. II
this is So, it is in this process that we
will find the best hope for liberty, or
at least more freedom, for the captive
peoples. 1t is this process, too, which,
given a chance, may eventually liqui-
date the cold war. So why shrink from
the prospect? If we have nothing bet
ter to offer, let's meet MIR. Khrushchev
on the testing ground of peaceful CO.
existence, and let's not be frightened
off by the phrase itself. There will be
a struggle, but we can win it if we want
to win it.