AMERICAN FEELING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27012, 22 February 1949, Page 5

AMERICAN FEELING

QUESTION ANSWERED BY SENATORS PARALLEL IN RIO PACT NZPA—Copyright WASHINGTON, Rec. 11.45 p.m. Feb. 20. Senator Robert Taft to-day came out in support of a strong North Atlantic security pact that would pledge United States aid to Western Europe in the case of an attack. Senator Taft, who frequently opposed the Government’s foreign policy, said he favoured a treaty similar to the Western Hemisphere Denfence Pact, signed in 1947 at Rio de Janeiro. The Rio pact is based on the principle that an attack on any American nation is an attack on all. According to the Washington - Post, a majority of Senators would vote to declare war if Russia invaded one of the North Atlantic Pact countries. The newspaper put the following question to 88 of the 96 Senators last week: “ If Soviet Russia to-morrow launched an armed invasion of one of the North Atlantic Pact countries, would you vote for a resolution declaring war upon Soviet Russia? ” Twenty-sevfen Senators (16 Democrats) and 11 Republicans replied, “Yes,” without any reservations. Of the others, 23 (16 Democrats and 7 Republicans) said they would vote for war, but made reservations. Only one of all the Senators interviewed said he would vote “No.” Of the 37 Senators (19 Republicans and 18 Democrats) who said they preferred not to answer the question at present, many replied that they objected to being polled, and said the question was ,7 a dangerous one.”