The Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, February 23, 1949. IS AMERICA'S POLICY INCONSISTENT?

Grey River Argus, 23 February 1949, Page 4

The Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, February 23, 1949. IS AMERICA'S POLICY INCONSISTENT?

PRESIDENT TRUMAN, it is reported, proposes now to send European countries between teen and twenty thousand million dollars worth of “non-surplus” military equipment, in keeping with his doctrine of supporting free peoples who arc resisting-at-tempted subjugation either by armed minorities or by outside pressure. This is said to be designed to follow on the conclusion of the Atlantic Pact. The proposal must, however, be viewed in the light of the latest elucidation of American policy by the. noted commentator, Walter Lippman, who is to-day quoted as pointing to a contradiction between this Truman doctrine and the strategical policy of the United States military chiefs. The military chiefs do not reckon that the Red Army could be prevented from advancing into any country. Hence the possibility that American forces in Japan are more likely to be reduced than to be increased, lest that country might fall like the Philippines fell. On the other hand, according to Lippman, the idea of General MacArthur, and the Japanese, of the Western Germans and Berliners, the French, . Chinese, Greeks, Netherlands and Norwegians is that if the Red Army attacked, American forces would be available on their frontiers to keep out the Russians. The United States Chiefs of Staff believe that the only real means of checking the Russians is the overall force of America. This would imply that the United States is building its strength where it can be mobilised to the best advantage for a major clash, rather than distributing such strength so as to pretend to encircle the. U.S.S.R. within its vast sphere in Europe and Asia. Despatch of military materials to Europe or elsewhere is consistent with the idea' of the military strategists. While the Soviet augments under the latest five year plan its military might, Montgomery says no country may ignore the risk of war at any juncture.

.It might indeed be a blunder for other countries to place all of their eggs in the United States military basket. The Chinese have learned as much, the United States having pulled out as the Communists have triumphed, and as they now threaten to dominate Ihe whole of East and possibly South-East Asia, including Burma, Alalaya, Indo-China, Siam, and Indonesia. As Americans will risk no more “Bataans”, there is no third force either East or West able to stand up to the new imperialism of world revolution. That fact is the only reason wliy there might be two opinions about the attitude of the Australian Government to the Dutch. If an Indonesian family is sent away, it might keep Australia just a little whiter, but for how long? If Burma, is any criterion, or China, or even Alalaya, an Indonesian polity might be whiteanted by Communism pretty quickly. That possibility at least is not one to be ignored. It is also doubtful if an Asian bloc, such as Pandit Nehru suggests, could stand against Communism if the U.S.S.K. were able to count, on. “fifth columns” such as it can do in so many countries. It was lately stated that the United States had Io make a choice between East and West and decided to invest its strength in Europe—this by way of a warning to Australia, where any Asian alliance might exert very little effect. Because of a very antiquated political system, the Chinese offered no resistance to Communist infiltration. and other Asiatics are largely in a similar political phase. The Communists consider they can begin the undoing of capitalism in the East, where its' interests arc undefended, and likely-so to remain, for the Western peoples, except perhaps the Dutch, have been falling over each other in their exit. The Dutch ask how can-America expect them to comply .with the Marshall Plan if they must lose their Indies trade. A Communist China might soon render untenable Alalaya, Hong Kong, and several countries so far as Westerners are concerned. America certainly has proclaimed in the Truman Doctrine its responsibility to limit the spread of Communism, one important means of

so doing being help for the economic recovery of peoples who, were it lacking, must capitulate to the protogists or the Marxian system. Meantime in the West the check'seems more or less effective. The fifth columns in France, .Italy, Greece, Austria, and elsewhere are. not subjugating the majority. But what of Asia? Where. or when is a check to begin? That is a vital question. For these southern Dominions it is as vital as any European stand. The Asiatics already are ■coming rapidly into the Communist yoke, and, while the West to-day might count on an ascendancy in military potential, the situation in a few years in at least, the East might be very radically altered indeed. There is, of course, the military aspect, as evident now in China,' but there also is the political transformation which elsewhere in Asia is surreptitiously progressing. There are frequent symptoms in different countries. American policy is certainly one of energy, and may in the military sense be prudent, but from any other standpoint, such as our own, there is much to be said for the view of General MacArthur, which is evidently that Communism should be conceded no more ground through mere default.