Show Marquis Childs 4 How Much of Good Will for forUs forUs Us Survives To WASHINGTON To make up at nt least in part for the deficiencies deficiencies in Americas America's defenses guns ships tanks and planes are arc being being- ordered and soon willbe will willbe be made in greater numbers than ever before in peacetime This force in being if there is time to prepare it is essential But there is another force at least equally Important and it itIs itis is not to be he found on any munitions munitions munitions mu mu- shopping list This is the friendship an and good will wiB of people everywhere e people in Europe and Asia As the grim rim struggle with Communism continues it is abundantly clear that the United States cannot win without friends Atomic bombers might destroy most of the rest resl of oC tho world But that would not be victory Asia Asla Important Too The North Atlantic pact is a a. useful first step But even the United States and western Europe together arc are not suf suf- If we lose the friendship of the great mass of the Asian peoples there w will Jl be little hope for the west This gets gel down to toa toa a a. complicated difficult troubled relationship which I want to consider in this and several following following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing columns It is east vs west color vs white high technology vs s primitive primitive primitive prim prim- agriculture colonialism vs s I nationalism Above all aU it is the seated deep-seated memory of two centuries centuries centuries cen cen- of exploitation of east cast by west This exploitation was more often than not cruel arrogant ruthless and greedy The memory of it in a a. thousand ways i. i is j seared deeply into the consciousness consciousness conscious conscious- ness of Asias Asia's millions The heritage heritage heritage herit herit- age of suspicion it has left be behind behind behind be- be hind may well be the greatest single obstacle to practical understanding understanding un un- and workable partnership partnership partnership part part- between the two halves of the globe Our Record Bettor Better Fortunately the record of the United States is considerably better than that of most EUropean European European Euro EUro- nations on this score In 1900 at the time of the Boxer rebellion in China instead of grabbing g Chinese territory as the other powers did America devoted it its it's share of the reparations reparations tion to financing Chinese students students students stu stu- dents in this country As a result of the war with Spain the Philippines became an American possession It was the initial thrust of American power in the far Pacific Almost from the first after the bitter fighting with Auginaldo's Angina Angina- dos do's guerillas was ended the tha American objective was made clear That objective e was to govern in the interests of the Philippine people and ultimately ultimately ulti ulti- to give them their in in- in dependence When President McKinley Mc- Mc Ic- Ic Kinle Kinley sent William Howard Taft to the Philippines at the head of a commission to establish establish establish lish a government in 1900 he said The commission should bear bearin in mind that the government which they are establishing is designed not for our satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction tion or for the expression of our theoretical views but for the happiness peace and prosperity of the people of the Philippine islands Filipinos i Given Ghen Chance Efforts were made to bring Filipinos into the government By 1927 there were Ameri Ameri- Americans Americans cans in the government service and natives The American example has had a wide influence in Asia It was convincing proof that a western nation did want an oriental on- on people to progress toward statehood sta A Arne American m e r i c can a n missionaries in every Asian ivian country helped to spread goodwill and in many instances provided medical help and knowledge These missionaries missionaries missionaries mission mission- aries sent home intimate reports of the struggle of Asian peoples for freedom and decency Millions Millions Millions Mil Mil- lions of American children how children how well I remember it from my own childhood filled mite boxes with pennies for or foreign missions missions missions mis mis- most of them in Asia Some of this was supercilious 1 and condescending some of it I I blindly fanatical some of it downright silly Much of it was not merely well intentioned but profoundly rewarding rewarding- in terms of friendship hip and understanding This is another era a a. harsher and more cynical era How much of the goodwill out of the past I survives today 7 Copyright 1950 by United Feature Syndicate Inc |