Show fn a pr Dangerous Policy A AS S CONGRESS OPENED OPENED two mo Important things were happening happening happening happen happen- ing to the policy which guides the foreign relations of at the thc U U. S S. S A A. and which in fn the long run either cither prevents or foments war 1 1 The British were giving us a double-cross double in China China China-at at a time when U. U S S. S treasury experts say two billions more will be needed to bail ball Britain out 2 Congress would soon begin a vitriolic criticism of U. U S S. S vacillation vacillation vacillation tion in regard to China It so happens that the British foreign office is recognizing the Communist government just lust at a time when it will hurt the state departments department's departments department's departments department's de de- de- de relations with congress most This is not intentional but rather because British investments investments invest invest- ments British trade and the prized British Island of require protection Meanwhile l Secretary of State Acheson and Secretary of Defense De De- Defense tense Johnson are engaged Ina in ina ina a tug of war regarding our Chinese policy polley with President Truman stamping his foot on the sidelines and demanding definite action one way or the other Actually a firm and definite policy policy pol pol- icy regarding that heterogeneous mass of million Chinese people speaking 23 different dialects is anything but easy But there is isone isone isone one policy which the United States has never tried tried namely namely the tactics tactics tactics tact tact- ics used by the Chinese against us This is the old age policy of ot passive passive pas pas- sive resistance coupled with the boycott and probably it is the only policy which will work either in China or against China Reversing Weapons It sounds so simple that sophisticated sophisticated sophisticated diplomats probably wont won't consider it But it has been used scores of times tunes by the Chinese against the western world and it will work just as effectively i if the western world uses it against the Chinese communists This weapon merely consists of cutting off all tr trade all communications communications communications all contact with the Chinese Chinese Chin Chin- ese and letting them stew in their own juice In one respect this would be cruel retaliation For thousands of Chinese would st starve there would be unemployment rioting and upheaval upheaval upheaval up up- in Chinese cities But it Is the only ony way by which the Chinese Communist government can be taught that It cannot seize our consuls Imprison Imprison imprison Im im- Im- Im prison our aviators and treat treatus us as the Japs once treated Furthermore it is the only way we can prevent the southward rush of at communism to the Philippines to French Indo-China Indo Burma the Dutch East Indies and India Today old-fashioned old demonstrations demonstrations demonstrations by a few extra warships in Chinese waters wont won't mean more than a fleabite flea to the vast and stirring continent of Asia Nor can we invade any part of ot China with an army On the other hand it will take novel ovel and world shaking action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion to halt the southward rush of ot communism and the use of Chinas China's I own tactics in the form of ot a boy boy- blockade cott-blockade is about the only thing that could do it Otherwise most of Asia will gradually go gounder gounder gounder under Moscow's wing Boycotting West This writer was in China when such a boycott was applied to the western world in 1925 Chinese students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents had been killed by British marines and in ret retaliation the foreign foreign foreign for for- eign colony of ot Shameen Shame en at Canton was boycotted by the Chinese As Asa a result grass grew in the streets All food had to be imported Not a servant remained on the island Every morning you saw the American consul sweeping his own office and the Italian consul hauling hauling hauling haul haul- ing ice on a childs child's express wagon In the evening the French consul mixed the salad the British consul cooked the meat and the Italian consul fixed the dessert at a community community community com com- dinner If the Chinese had been smart enough to tighten this western anti anti western boycott bocott around other cities instead of chiefly Canton all foreigners would have been ousted Dut But as usual usual usual us us- ual Chinese factions rowed between between between be be- tween themselves and the western westen powers practiced the theold theold theold old policy of divide and rule Today the reverse Is true The Chinese are now united Considered Boycott Nearest approach to a western scale large lle use of ot the boycott came in 1936 when Adm J William Leahy then chief of ot naval operations proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed to President Roosevelt that the American and British fleets blockade Japanese waters and cut cutoff cutoff off oU all supplies of oil cotton copper copper and scrap iron To put it across invited the power nine pact m nations which had guaranteed the sovereignty of ot China to meet at Brussels in October October October Octo Octo- ber 1936 1930 |