Evening star. [volume], August 09, 1955, Page A-13, Image 13

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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DAVID LAWRENCE
Elihu Root on Keeping the Peace
Republican Statesman Was Prophetic
In 1918 in Seeing Need for World Peace
There’s a tendency nowa
days to think that only the
present generation of states
men have brought forth great
principles as a basis for the
Attlement of international
disputes by peaceful means.
Every now and then some
comments are heard from
Democratic quarters, for ex
ample, that the Republican
Party historically is the party
of "isolation” or that the Re
publicans of today "haven’t
had a new idea since Mc-
Kinley’s day.”
Such superficial and obvi
ously partisan outbursts are
sometimes accepted as gospel
by those who don’t know the
facts of history. Accordingly,
it is interesting to read the
text of a letter, recently re
vealed. which was written by
Elihu Root on August 16, 1918,
to Col. House, the personal
envoy and confidant of the
then President Woodrow Wil
son. Mr. Root, a great inter
national lawyer, had been
Secretary of War in President
McKinley’s cabinet. Secretary
of State in the cabinet of
President Theodore Roosevelt
and later a United States Sen
ator from New York. He had
much to do with the move
ment that led to the formation
of the League of Nations. He
was "Mr. Republican" then.
What Mr. Root wrote in
1918 not only is prophetic of
the same point In the United
Nations Charter of today as
written into Article XI by
Senator Vandenberg, Repub
lican, but, in particular, gives
a historic basis for the recent
pronouncement by Secretary
of State Dulles advocating
that Red China renounce the
use of force in the Par East,
Irrespective of whether it con
siders Formosa “an internal
matter.”
The doctrine expressed by
Mr. Dulles holds that a breach
of the peace affecting large
areas and interests can be of
international concern even
though considered by the par
ties to be limited to them
alone. Mr. Root outlined the
DORIS FLEESON
Egypt Is Suspicious of America
Premier Nasser Hates Communism,
But Fears U. S. Is Encircling Him
CAlßO—American relations
with Egypt are definitely
sticky as of now. The sus
picions that once attached to
the British are directed at us.
Prime Minister Nasser hates
communism but he fears that
the United States is encircling
him. He feels strangely unap
preciated by Americans who
were expected to admire his
deposing of King Parouk, his
“new deal,” his successful
struggle for Independence.
The oddity is that the Eisen
hower administration has defi
nitely shifted the emphasis of
its Middle East policy from
Israel to stability for the whole
area. In doing so, however, it
has cracked the Arab League,
and Nasser, with his admitted
phobia against big-power dom
ination, is crying foul.
United States policy now
says that while Israel is here
to stay, the oil rich Arab
states must be brought into
some kind of Western security
system, perhaps at arms’
length, but certain. Turkey
and Pakistan led the break
from the Moslem world to the
West. But Iraq’s new alliance
with Greece and Turkey was
the heart thrust at Arab soli
darity and Arab isolationism.
This, more than Israel, ails
Nasser. American sources be
lieve. Os course, we are not
THOMAS L. STOKES
Time of Decision for Stevenson
He Must Move Confidently Toward
Another Nomination or Bow Out
CHICAGO—A man who is
no longer a Governor, In fact
holds no public office, and is
not a participant in the an
nual Governors’ conference
here is nevertheless the center
of attention and curiosity of
those attending this meeting
of State Chief Executives.
Adlal Stevenson, former
Governor of Illinois, interests
both Republicans and Demo
crats. they want to know
whether he is likely to be re
nominated as the Democratic
candidate for President next
year, or whether certain pres
sures now discernible will re
sult in replacing him.
You get the impression that
the 1952 Democratic candidate
is at this very time, a year be
fore the 1956 nominating con
ventions, at the critical point
where he might either move
confidently toward another
nomination, or gradually slip
out of the picture.
This seems to be, in short,
a time of decision and action.
In that he will have his part,
but so will many others.
Important among the latter
are Democratic State Gover
nors. This is because of their
control of State organizations.
Today, Democrats hold the
Governorships in 27 States;
Republicans in 21. No one who
watched the political story
acted out in 1952—and Adlal
Stevenson was among those—
can ever forget how it was the
Republican Governors who
really tipped the balance to
ward Gen. Eisenhower and
against the late Senator Robert
A. Taft for the Republican
nomination.
la an annual conference
broader view in his letter,
which reads as follows:
“The first requisite for any
durable concert of peaceable
nations to prevent war is a
fundamental change in the
principle to be applied to in
ternational breaches of the
peace.
“The view now assumed and
generally applied is that the
use of force by one nation to
ward another is a matter in
which only the two nations
concerned are primarily inter
ested, and if any other nation
claims a right to be heard on
the subject it must show some
specific interest of its own in
the controversy. That burden
of proof rests upon any other
nation which seeks to take
part if it will relieve itself of
the charge of impertinent in
terference and avoid the re
sentment which always meets
impertinent interference in
the affairs of an independent
sovereign state. This view
was illustrated by Germany in
July, 1914, when she insisted
that the Invasion of Serbia by
Austria-Hungary was a mat
ter which solely concerned two
states, and upon substantially
that ground refused to agree
to the conference proposed by
Sir Edward Grey. The requi
site change is an abandonment
of this view and a universal,
formal and irrevocable accept
ance of the view that an inter
national breach of the peace is
a matter which concerns every
nation of the community of
nations—a matter in which
every nation has a direct in
terest and to which every na
tion has a right to object.
"These two views correspond
to the two kinds of responsibil
ity in municipal law which we
call civil responsibility and
criminal responsibility. If I
make a contract with you and
break it, it is no business of
our neighbor. You can sue
me or submit, and he has
nothing to say about It. On
the other hand, if I assault
and batter you, every neigh
bor has an interest in having
me arrested and punished, be
forgiven for Israel. A pro-
Israel motive is always looked
for in our actions.
In the new situation drama
tized by Iraq, Egypt's only
swift and vocal allies were
Saudi Arabia and Yemen, who
foresaw their ancient tribal
foes of the northern tier be
ing strengthened to their
detriment. Nasser is grateful
to them. But he is a thorough
convert to the social and
economic progress ideas of the
West: he hopes with them to
remake Egypt into a leader
and beacon light for his part
of the world. It is not done
by having as principal allies
the two most-backward Arab
areas, even though King Saud
is rich in oil revenues.
Nasser’s other foreign policy
problem is the Sudan, which
controls the headwaters of the
Nile and so is literally vital to
Egypt. Specifically, Egypt
wants to build a high dam on
the Nile to take care of its
growing population. A TVA
style project, the high dam
would add 30 per cent to her
arable acreage, increase its
yields and furnish cheap power
for industrialization.
Sudan is emerging from
British control and will vote
next year whether to affiliate
with Egypt or be independent.
The most intense politicking
such as this, held that year at
Houston, Tex., on the eve of
the Republican National Con
vention. 24 Republican Gover
nors adopted a resolution for
support of Gen. Eisenhower
which was engineered by Her
bert Brownell. That spoke with
authority to the delegates for
they knew that it came close
to representing the sentiment
at the grass roots.
No one expects any such
resolution from Democratic
Governors, of course, from this
conference.
But there was feeling out
on both sides—between Adlai
Stevenson and the Democratic
Governors—and among the
Governors themselves.
He set aside his law business
for the time being here in Chi
cago, to which he commutes
from his home at Libertyville,
and made himself available to
Democratic Governors when
overtures came from them to
see him.
One he had taken pains to
invite several days before the
conference began, and for a
private dinner. This was Gov.
Harriman of New York.
Gov. Harriman has come to
be regarded as a candidate
for the nomination himself,
as he was, in fact, in 1952;
but on just what terms it is
not yet clear, nor is it possible
to foresee whether there might
be an eventual break and an
open clash between\ the two.
This might depend on the
activity of Carmine DeSapio,
the astute leader of Tammany
Hall, the man who managed
Averell Harriman into the
Governor's chair at Albany.
When he came here for his
n
cause his own safety requires
that violence shall be re
strained. At the basis of every
community lies the idea of
organization to preserve the
peace. Without that idea
really active and controlling
there can be no community of
individuals or of nations. It
is the gradual growth and sub
stitution of this idea of com
munity interest in preventing
and punishing breaches of the
peace which has done away
with private war among civil
ized peoples.
"The Monroe Doctrine as
serted a specific interest on
the part of the United States
in preventing certain breaches
of the peace on the American
continent; and when Presi
dent Wilson suggested an en
largement of the Monroe Doc
trine to take in the whole _
world, his proposal carried by
necessary implications the m
change of doctrine which I am
discussing. The change may
seem so natural as to be un
important, but it is really
crucial, for the old doctrine
is asserted and the broader m
doctrine is denied by approxi
mately half the military powers
of the world, and the question
between the two is one of the
things about which the war is
being fought. The change in
volves a limitation of sover
eignty making every sover
eign state subject to the su
perior right of a community
of sovereign states to have the
peace preserved. The accept
ance of any such principle
would be fatal to the whole
Prussian theory of the state
and of government.
“When you have got this
principle accepted openly, ex
pressly. distinctly, unequivo
cally by the whole civilized
world, you will for the first
time have a community of na
tions, and the practical re
sults which win naturally de
velop will be as different from
those which have come from
the old view of national re
sponsibility as are the results
which flow from the American .
Declaration of Independence
compared with the results
which flow from the divine
right of kings.”
(Reproduction Rlihta Rmrred.)
Is going on and Sudanese were
courted guests of the anni
versary celebration here.
As of now the International
Bank has refused Egypt a loan
to build the high dam on the
ground that the Sudan ne
gotiations were too hazy. In
this area, too. Nasser is sus
picious of outside pressure, In
cluding ours.
No overt incidents occurred
in the recent celebrations to
show whether the Nasser re
gime is or Is not strong and
popular.
He certainly is not a crowd
pleaser as was the deposed
Gen. Naguib, now under house
arrest. Naguib is described
here as a Jimmy Walker type,
shallow and gregarious.
Perhaps Nasser's trouble is
that life to him is too real, too
earnest. The Cromwellian
moralist is not the stuff of
mass popularity.
He has learned, however,
that bread and circuses make
the sweat and tears more pala
table to the masses. Three
German technicians were im
ported to stage fireworks dis
plays for the celebration. They
made the Fourth of July show
on the Ellipse in Washington
look plain tacky.
It is probable that the army
“new deal” is a police state in
Important respects. They are
not made obvious and there are
no offensive salutes or slogans.
Nasser’s main aupport still is
the army.
dinner and talk with Adlai
Stevenson, the Oovernor of
New York was disarmed and
without his bodyguard. That
is, the Tammany leader was
left home on this expedition.
But the Stevenson entourage
is aware of Carmine DeSapio’a
negotiations with State Dem
ocratic leaders here, there
and yonder in behalf of his
protege.
Restiveness among Demo
cratic State leaders about
1956, which is accentuated by
fears that no Democrat could
beat President Eisenhower, be
came apparent in their private
conversations here and in their
sessions with the 1952 candi
date and titular party leader.
The uncertainty was re
flected in what one of them,
an early arrival, Gov. Abraham
A. RibicofT of Connecticut, said
publicly at a news conference
—that Adlai Stevenson can’t
be "drafted” another time but
must come out and seek the
nomination; that there is, at
the moment, a political vac
uum in the party, with leader
ship lacking; that It might be
difficult for any Democrat to
beat President Elsenhower in
Connecticut; that there are so
far very few issues against the
President, and that Averell
Harriman is definitely a can
didate for the nomination.
Another bothersome factor,
a psychological hazard, that
frets Democrats is the fact
that Adlai Stevenson was once
defeated. They were reminded
of this bluntly by a Repub
lican, Gov. Goodwin J. Knight
of California. He said he
thought Gov. Harriman would
run better than Adlal Steven
son in California because the
New York Governor had not
been defeated for national of
fice.
A *
LOUIE —By Horry Honan
—~~~—~
POTOMAC FEVER
FLETCHER KNEBEL
Governors of 48 States convene in Chicago. The con
ference is good for a Governor's ego. He sees 47 reasons why
he’d make the best President.
* * * *
Soviet Premier Bulganin tosses a country picnic for
foreign diplomats. This big Russian thaw is the real thing.
Comrades who make a mistake are no longer sent to Siberia.
They just melt away.
• * • •
Happy Chandler scores a comeback for Governor of
Kentucky. Chandler is one of those two-party statesmen.
Whenever he shakes somebody's hand, he's usually slapping
some other party on the back.
* * * *
Hurricane Connie rips northward along the Atlantic
Coast. The only difference between hurricanes and women is
that a hurricane doesn’t necessarily take everything a man's got.
• • » *
The Commerce Department says stockholders are getting
more dividends this year. They threw a fellow out of Dem
ocratic headquarters the other day. He suggested a Democratic
campaign slogan tor next year: “Don't let ’em take it away.”
* • * *
Wives of Congressmen attend the Switzerland "atoms
for-peace” conference. Very educational for the ladies. One
wife got complimented on her hat in eight languages.
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THE EVENING STAR, Washington, D. C.
, TUESDAY. AUGUST S, ISM
CONSTANTINE BROWN
What About Our Eastern Allies?
Turkey, Pakistan, Nationalist China,
Korea Are Slighted by New Policy
Some of the American out
posts on the fringes of Com
munist lands Turkey, Paki
stan, Nationalist China and
South Korea—fear that we
have come to regard them as
millstones around our neck
since we appear to be accept
ing Red smiles as proof of
Communist good intentions.
Those countries’ representa
tives in Washington are trying
to find out whether America
is losing Interest in its "gal
lant allies.” The administration
is trying to assure them offi
cially that the Geneva honey
moon has in no way lessened
our interest in and good will
. for the fringe allies. But there
are straws in the wind which
cause some of them to ques
tion our future intentions.
The Turks are particularly
uneasy. They were on our
« side even before 1947 when the
Truman doctrine providing as
sistance was established. The
Turks have devoted their en
ergies to building up their mili
tary forces in keeping with
the plans of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff in Washington.
At no time since America
started helping Turkey eight
years ago have the Turks re
laxed their efforts to be ready
for an emergency. Neutralism,
which has permeated all our
major Western allies that re
ceived many billions to form
a wall against militant com
munism, never made an im
pression on the Ankara gov
ernment or the Turkish peo
ple. But Moscow has done its
best in the last two years to
lure them away from the free
nations.
Recently the heavy military
preparedness and connected
Industrial development in the
country, which has been in the
past overwhelmingly agricul
tural, have had a telling effect
on Turkey’s financial stability.
To these burdens were added
two disastrous years of
drought.
The Turkish government
appealed to the American
Government, which bad never
in the past denied much to its
allies in Western Europe. But
there seems to have been a
change of heart in Washing
ton in regard to the peripheric
allies. There is an atmosphere
that the honeymoon with Tur
key is about over and that the
Ankara government had bet
ter realize this and exercise
some stringent economies as
suggested by the Washington
financial experts, even if this
means some curtailment of
Turkey’s military establish
ment. ’
Ankara finds it difficult to
meet obligations in foreign
currencies contracted with our
tacit approval in the sterling
bloc and in Germany and
Switzerland. Early this year it
asked Washington for a 8300-
million interest-bearing loan to
be repaid over 20 or 25 years.
It was turned down not because
we could not afford that sum
or because Turkey was a bad
credit risk but as a lesson to
Turkey to handle its finances
better. Instead, the Govern
ment offered the government
of our Middle Eastern bastion
a grant of S3O million.
Turkey is a cotton-producing
country but does not have the
facilities to manufacture cot
ton goods for its army and the
civilian population. An Ameri
can private concern, the Re
public Chemical Corp., after
investigating conditiorisin
Turkey, proposed to lend the
Turkish government nearly $3
million at 5.5 per cent to estab-
A-13
lish a cotton mill in Anatolia.
The project provided that the
mill be purchased in Japan and
moved to Turkey where the
Republic Chemical was to in
stall it and get it into working
condition.
This plan would have en
abled the Turks to produce
their own cotton goods instead
of buying them in England
and Italy. It would have saved
them a substantial amount of
foreign currency. All the
United States Government had
to do was give the American
corporation the usual “loan
guaranty certificate.” The
corporation applied through
the usual channels.
The State Department,
Treasury and International
Co-Operation Administration
(the new name for the old
FOA) got together to discuss
this momentous guaranty in
volving less than $3 million.
v The State Department was
noncommittal and cautious.
William F. Russell, deputy
director of technical services
for the ICA, was favorable and
said he believed the plan was
eligible for “guaranty protec
tion.” Not so the Treasury’s
representative, Undersecretary
W. Randolph Burgess, who
took the position that since
Turkey, because of the scarcity
of foreign exchange, could not
afford to import cotton textiles
she could scarcely afford to
import a mill for their pro
duction. That stand is a classic.
The wisdom of our Treasury
officials is unquestioned on
finances, but their political
wisdom leaves considerable
room for doubt.
The feeling among our peri
pheric allies that America may
now be in a mood to shake
them off has been strength
ened by this short-sighted pol
icy of the Treasury, which is
attributed by them as coming
from higher quarters than the
Undersecretary.