| Show Split in Free World Handicaps Us In Freedom Versus Tyranny Fight At long last the United Nations through its political committee has taken action to brand Communist China an aggressor in Korea After many days of hesitation and debate the United States won a notable victory when 44 nations joined in condemning red China with seven opposed eight abstaining andone and andone andone one not taking part at all in the thc vote Thus the nations of the world finally stood up to be counted on the simple issue of recognizing a case of flagrant aggression And thankfully Americans see the overwhelming mass of those nations whom we have long rega regarded ded as our friends siding with us Unfortunately that record is not nol per per- feet A considerable group of nations whom we might have expected to stand for the right of Asiatic peoples to freedom freedom free free- dom from foreign domination and forthe for forthe the right of small nations to self determination determination determination deter deter- were not with us Notable on the other side of the fence were India and Burma which moved clear over into the Soviet camp to vote with the five hard-and-fast hard Russian bloc countries Significant also were the abstentions abstentions ab ab- ab- ab of Afghanistan Pakistan and Indonesia and of the Arab bloc countries countries countries coun coun- tries Syria Egypt Yemen and Saudi I Arabia How does it happen that these Asiatic Asiatic Asiatic Asi Asi- and Arab nations are not arrayed against imperialistic interference in the thc affairs of smaller countries For years they have been upbraiding western countries countries countries coun coun- tries for their colonialism for their imperialism imperialism imperialism im im- im- im for their exploitation of underdeveloped underdeveloped underdeveloped under under- developed areas Yet they refuse to brand Communist imperialism for what it is There is something wrong in all this and and is is hardly the fact as one writer says that in Asia the fear of communism is not nearly so acute as the fear fear of hunger Hunger doesn't enter into this situation It is just a question question question ques ques- tion of whether imperialism is wrong Tong in principle or whether it is only wrong when practiced by a non-Asiatic non countr country country coun coun- tr try or by a capitalistic country Do the countries of Asia actually believe that communism is not aggressive aggressive aggressive sive that it is not a threat to freedom and independence Can they possibly believe that Ru Russian sian imperialism is less lessa a menace today than American British French or Dutch imperialism It is difficult to see sec how they could actually believe that wa way in view of the record What hat country since the end of oC World War Var II has been cly pushing pushing pushing push push- ing its boundaries and its influence outward outward outward out out- ward in all directions What country has moved its powerful impact southward southward southward south south- ward in Asia into Iran to the Himalayas into into Burma and Indo-China Indo Asiatic countries must know as well as 5 we do that the answer to those questions questions questions ques ques- is Soviet Russia In contrast what has the western world done It has given up its extraterritorial extraterritorial extraterritorial extra extra- territorial rights in China It has granted independence to India Pakistan Burma Ceylon Indonesia and the Philippines Philippines- and sought to reestablish an independent united Korea And yet many of these new Asiatic nations plus a number of older ones have taken a stand in the United Nations that either openly or by implication ignores ignores ig ignores ig- ig nores the Communist record There is plainly something wrong Maybe it is Asian-Arab Asian fear of Communist Communist Communist Com Com- power Maybe it is lingering hatred for past western imperialism Maybe it is that communism has done a good job of propagandizing while we have failed to put over our case Maybe I w we e have not played out the game of oC peace I as fully and as well as we should I IVe I'Ve We Ve do not know the answer But we are sure there is no real hope for halting the sweep of communism in Asia Asi so long Jong as there is such cleavage in the free worlds world's attitude toward the red men men- ace If this split remains unhealed we will be he handicapped in our struggle for freedom versus tyranny despite our I won hard-won victory in the United Nations councils |
