MARSHALL URGES AMERICANS TO KEEP COOL

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 March 1948, Page 5

MARSHALL URGES AMERICANS TO KEEP COOL

WASHINGTON, March 11. “The world, is in the midst of a great crisis, inflamed by propaganda, misunderstanding, anger and fear,” said the United States Secretary of State (General Marshall) today. “At no time has it. been so important to have cool judgment.” General 'Marshall, who was addressing a meeting of the Federal Council of Churches, at >vhich Mr Truman was . among the invited guests, added: “In the midst of this turmoil, complicated by the distractions of an election campaign, it is important to express one’s feelings on the situation in moderate terms.”

He declared that he, as Secretary of State, had tried to keep a level head. Virtually every current action of the United States was misunderstood by some people abroad. “Our most generous motives are suspected, our good intentions are condemned, and wo on our side are apt to grow passionate or fearful, 1 over-zealous in our passions or failing in action because of our fears,” he said. % One affirmative and' immediate measure. which America could take was the enactment of the European recovery programme.

president Truman said today that his confidence in world peace had been somewhat shaken by recent events in Europe, but he still clung to his confidence in eventual peace. The President, addressing a press conference, said: “We must have peace, because the world could not stand the self-destruction of another world war.” Mr Truman expressed deep regret over Mr Jan Masaryk’s death, and added that he wanted to repeat the statement by General Marshall urging the American people to be careful that passions did not get the best of them until'the full facts were known.

Mr Truman also told the conference that the United States did not favour including Chinese Communists in the Chinese Government, and never had done so.