UNFAVOURABLE REACTION IN CONGRESS

Chronicle (Levin), 7 March 1946, Page 8

UNFAVOURABLE REACTION IN CONGRESS

FORMAL ALLIANCE NOT WANTED Received Wednesday, 9.50 p..m. " - NEW YORK, March 6. Mr. Churchill 's proposal for a virtual British-American military alliance has provoked a generally unf avourable re-ac-tion in Congress, says the Associated Press. Mr. Churchill' s call for the sharing of bases and some military preparations found som-e support, but most Senators said they did not want a forinal alliance, because it might arouse Russia 's suspicions and because it would link the United States toq close iy with British foreign policies. Although Mr. Churchill claimed to speak for himself only, members of his party told correspondents that Mr. Churchill checked his speech in advance with Lord Kalifax. They added that it was not iikeiy that Mr. Churchill would discuss such an importapt subject if he thought it might prove an irritant to Mr. Bevin. The New York Post 'says it is an open seeret that Mr. Truman read the speech before its delivery, and Mr. Bevin' had a general understandin'g of the contents. The New York Herald-Tribune, in an editoriai said: "If the speech means anythmg,- it means that Russia today is a shadow and menace to the Western world comparable with the menace of Nazism a decade ago, that it can be pet only by such a show of strength as Mr. Churchill -nce called for vainly against Germany (and which most now believe wo.uld have been the only way of averting tlie vast ensuing tragedies) and that this strength which must be exerted n,ow can be provided only by what would amount to a British apd American military alliance. Oue must nope that the explosive direotness with which Mr. Churchill stated .it, will force all sides in Moseow, Londou ahd W ashington to face some of the reai implications of what is, after all. tbeir rnTnmnn -nrnhlfiTn. ' '

The New York Times, in a leader, says: ' ' Whether or not ail of Mr. up archill 's pr-oposals are acceptabie to tae United States is not the point. The" American people have long sinqe realised that Britain and the United States are governed by a comm.on destiny,, which brought them together in two world wars and would inevitably do so in an'J tatare war. Sharing Mr. Churchill 's anxieties about the tatare, they will give a sympathetfc bearing to his propcsals for averting a new catas* trophe." " ^