Editorial Note
On the evening of April 18, Mr. Acheson gave a major Far Eastern policy address before the Women’s National Press Club in Washington; the text of the speech is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, April 30, 1951, page 683. In it, the Secretary echoed the theme of President Truman’s address of a week earlier, that the United States would not appease aggression by withdrawal but would not extend the war in Asia. The willingness of the United States to settle the problem of Korea peacefully, Mr. Acheson said, was not appeasement.
In his talk, the Secretary emphasized many of the points made by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the previous day in a Chicago address wherein General Bradley associated the effort in Korea with the United States attempts to build up NATO and [Page 369] generally to contain Communism throughout the world (text in the New York Times, April 18, 1951). The United States, however, said General Bradley, would do nothing to provoke a war against anyone nor would it wage a preventive war against even an arch-enemy.