The Wanganui Chronicle TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1950 AN ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF THE PRESIDENT

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 November 1950, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1950 AN ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF THE PRESIDENT

THE report which recorded the attempt of two Puertoricans upon the life of President Truman had just that touch of humour in it which saved it from being over dramatic. The wouldbe assassins were said to have spoken with a foreign accent. It would be very interesting to know what passes for a “foreign accent’’ in Washington D.C.! , The attempt itself, however, was a grim business, even though it was an ill-conceived plan. The poor men who made the attempt were too low in intelligence to use stealth. Their attempt was so open that they could not be mistaken for anything but what they were and their intent was clear to the guards at Blair House. The result was that tte guards were alerted at once and the wouldbe slayers defeated in their objective. Assassination is a violation of the laws of God. If one does not believe in the laws of God then it is possible to claim that the ends justify the means. But little thought is required to make it clear that if one side in a dispute of any kind claims that its ends justify the means adopted to attain those ends then so may the other side do just the same. The finality of such a policy must mean the negation of human intelligence and the decision to be obtained only by jungle warfare. Civilisation would perish in a night if the world accepted the doctrine that the end justified the means. What then would it profit any man to assert his right The problems which confront the people of Puerto Rico are the problems of poverty. The food resources of the island are inadequate to sustain the people in a high standard of living. The prospects of developing an export trade are not encouraging. To leave the people to their fate would be a heartless procedure, but that is what those who have prompted the present crime are really seeking. The United States is doing something to bring about a solution of this difficult problem and the most promising line of approach at the present time is the development of the tourist traffic to this colourful but poverty-stricken island. Such an avenue has been appreciably restricted by recent events.

,If the nexus with the United States is severed where can Puerto Rico hope to secure the help that she needs to overcome her many problems? The problem of health, the result of overcrowding in a tropical climate where the food supply, housing and employment and drainage problems are already inadequate cannot easily be dissolved and until these problems of food supply, housing, and drainage are solved no advance in living standards can be even hoped for.

How would the death of President Truman affect any one of these problems? It cannot be said that he is responsible for the continuance of the evils endured by these unfortunate people. Nor could any change in United States policy be expected to flow from the completion of such a crime. All that is likely to emerge from this attempt is that the people of the United States will withdraw from the task at least to some extent unless in their generosity—which is indeed great—they are prepared to regard the errors of two simple ignorant men as personal to themselves and not representative of the feelings of the great body of Puerto Ricans. ,