FOREIGN RELATIONS: A Matter of Current Interest

Into the arena strode John Foster Dulles. More than 200 reporters, waiting in the State Department auditorium, were the lions—at least they were ready to growl. Dulles eyed them with a slight smile. "I have a brief statement to make," he began, "about a matter which I judge to be of current interest." He noted that an article in LIFE, which had said that the U.S. policy of strength had deterred the Communists from full-scale war in Korea, Indo-China and the FormosL Strait "has attracted much comment." He then read a statement:

"Let me say this: I did not write the article, I did not review or censor the article, or know of its title. I did not know in advance of its publication date, and, in fact, I did not read the article until after it was released for publication ... I believe that the United States should adopt every honorable course to avoid engagement in war. Indeed, I have devoted my whole life to the pursuit of a just and durable peace. I believe, however, that there are basic moral values and vital interests for which we stand, and that the surest way to avoid war is to let it be known in advance that we are prepared to defend these principles, if need be by life itself.

"This policy of seeking to prevent war by preventing miscalculation by a potential aggressor is not a personal policy; it is not a partisan policy; it is a national policy. It is expressed in mutual security treaties which we now have with 42 nations, and which the United States Senate has overwhelmingly approved . . .

"This policy of making clear our position in advance, of course, involves risks ... It is a calculated risk for peace. But as we have learned by hard experience, failure to make our position known in advance makes war more likely, because then an aggressor may miscalculate. The policy of deterrence is only one aspect of the task of maintaining a just and durable peace. It is necessary to be patient; it is necessary to be conciliatory; it is necessary to make our peace a vital force for justice and human welfare, so that all men will aspire to share that kind of peace. My views with respect to peace have been made known on many, many occasions, and there is no reason to think that they have altered because the article, like others dealing with complex subjects of foreign policy, inevitably tends to emphasize oversimplification and special emphasis."