OCR Text |
Show What Is Our Foreign Policy? The world of today is not a safe or simple place. It is full of momentous dangers and sudden changes, overshadowed by the growth of aggressive Russian power and the possibility of atomic warfare. Beset by these international complexities, swamped by the flood of information that pours in on us from all parts of the world, deafened by the clamorous advocates of various foreign interests, or by those who are sure they know just what is needed to settle the problems of China,, or North Africa, or India, or the Middle East, it is no wonder that American citizens sometimes some-times ask themselves, "What is our foreign policy, anyway?" This question is usually the great conversation stopper. The special pleaders are apt to run away with the argument, whether they are in favor of freedom of Algeria, or against Yalta, or for MacArthur, or ready with a glib answer on what! to do about disarmament. Yet this question, "What is our! foreign policy?" is perfectly legitimate one, and one that can be given a satisfactory answer. The late Secretary Dulles tried to do this last year. The answer, in effect he said, is to maintain our security, preserve our economic interests, and uphold our political ideals. This seems like a good answer, until you stop to examine it. Then you notice that the element of "how" is missing. How are we to attain these desirable objectives? What means are we to use to further our security and our interests and our ideals? Foreign policy is a problem of how of the choice of means because in foreign policy we are dealing with a lot of other nations all concerned about their security and their interests and their ideals. The problem of bringing ours and theirs together for harmony and peace is the problem of foreign policy. No definiton of foreign policy that gives only our side of the question ques-tion is adequate. Indeed, a statement of foreign policy that is concerned only with our aim is likely to be worse than inadequate. inade-quate. It is likely to be dangerous if it does not take into account the interests of other nations. The present eleven nation trip of President. Dwight D. Eisenhower seems to indicate that the Republican administration might at last have awakened up to this fact. Only time will tell. |