Show Marquis s c Great Burden Ahead For Acheson V WASHINGTON ASHINGTON- Few Few ew men in public life have had the thc opportunity opportunity tunit and at the same time the burden of responsibility ty that now falls on Dean Acheson The new secretary of state will enter office with the confidence and friendship of the president and responsible leaders in con con- gress In the department he takes over he will f find i n d associates with whom he had worked on intimate terms while he was undersecretary One of the advantages advantages advantages ad ad- vantages in Acheson's appointment appointment appointment appoint appoint- ment is that he begins with a abroad abroad abroad broad range of experience and background He was in part responsible for the appointment of George F. F to head the state departments department's departments department's departments department's de de- de- de planning staff Contrary Contrary Contrary Con Con- to rumors circulated since the president appointed Acheson Acheson Acheson Ache- Ache son the two men worked well together In fact when Acheson's Acheson's Acheson's Ache- Ache sons son's good friend Justice Felix Frankfurter gave him a dinner at the time of his retirement as undersecretary one of the two e c close l I o 0 s e associates present from the department was Kennan Ken- Ken nan The other was Charles E E. E Bohlen now counsellor of the department Bohlen regarded as one of oC the ablest and most knowledgeable experts on foreign foreign foreign for for- eign affairs particularly in the Russian sphere also worked closely with Acheson Faces Major Changes The n new 1 e w secretary will of course be faced with the necessity necessity necessity sity for major changes If Walter Walter Wal Val Valter ter Bedell Smith when he ends his vacation informs the president president president dent that he cannot for reasons of health and income return to his post as ambassador to Russia Russia Rus Rus- sia sla the president will accept his resignation willingly General Smi th should not be asked to return Two years and more of the solitary confinement confinement confinement confine confine- ment that is the American Embassy Embassy Embassy Em Em- bassy in Moscow is enough to tomake tomake tomake make the most dispassionate and objective man lose his tive In other diplomatic posts abroad the United States is in inadequately inadequately inadequately in- in adequately or badly represented Changes es to be made gradually and tactfully are essential A drastic drastic- overhaul is due also in the field of Latin-American Latin relations T The h c deterioration there has gone a long way and the prestige and influence of this country h have a v ve e suffered greatly as we seem to have condoned or even encouraged the overthrow of Democratic regimes by force Reflecting the era of hysteria and fear now happily passing Acheson's critics have directed most of their suspicion at the possibility he might appease Soviet Russia To those who followed most closely his work as assistant secretary and undersecretary undersecretary undersecretary under under- secretary that was patently absurd Fear Failure Their fear Is not that he will appease Russia but ut that he may fail to explore all the avenues however dim and uncertain that might lead to a negotiated armistice armistice armistice ar ar- ar- ar or at any rate a truce ending the cold war To be bc resolute resolute resolute res res- res- res and yet not completely unyielding at a sign of change from the Kremlin is Acheson's curiously difficult position How watchful and alert he must be while maintaining the firm course of American policy we can know from the past When the Russians in the spring of 1939 decided to change their approach to Nazi Germany they did not come marching into Berlin Berlin Berlin Ber Ber- lin with flags and trumpets An unimportant diplomat in inthe inthe the thc Soviet embassy in Berlin gave a hint to the thc German foreign foreign foreign for for- eign office of a desire to improve improve improve im im- im- im prove trade relations The significance significance significance of that hint was immediately immediately immediately immedi immedi- understood and the foreign office prepared the way for negotiations negotiations negotiations ne ne- that led to the Nazi Nazi- Soviet pact of August 1939 While that is not a happy example ex example ample it is nonetheless indicative indicative indicative indica indica- tive of Russian methods Weight of Opinion One difficulty faced by any American secretary of state is that public opinion has come to expect him to be Metternich St. St John and Superman Super Super- man all rolled into one In other words we expect the secretary and sometimes called foreign policy to solve the worlds world's ills even when the world is in tho the midst of a revolutionary change as it is today That attitude was implied In much of the criticism directed at that great American George C. C Marshall who now retires He w was a s handicapped it was as assaid said by the limitations of his military background Of course he was But the critics too often overlooked the qualities of greatness that carried him through a difficult transition period The point is that every human being h has a s limitations of one kind or another There is no saintly magician who can pre pre- e- e solve every dilemma Acheson's qualifications and capacities are areso areso areso so apparent that no one should be in the least surprised when the limitations of what he can cando cando cando do also become obvious Copyright 1949 United Feature Syndicate |