The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
JUNE 14, 1958
[This column has emendations. View original version]
SYRACUSE, N.Y.—The problems of Algeria do not seem to be clearing up as rapidly as General Charles de Gaulle evidently hoped they would.
The resolution passed by the All-Algerian Committee of Public Safety is, of course, practically a demand for a fascist government to take over in France and a disapproval of the idea of elections or political parties. This was relayed to Paris from General Raoul Salan, civilian and military commander in Algeria, and means that the French residents there are not satisfied with the moderate approach General de Gaulle seems to have tried to pursue.
As far as one can tell, the opposition to this group in Algeria is still functioning, and functioning with determination, so that nothing has really yet been accomplished to bring about a more peaceful settlement in this troubled country. And, of course, on this settlement depends France's relationships with Tunisia and Morocco.
The President wrote to Representative Joseph W. Martin Jr. and to Wilbur D. Mills asking their support of the reciprocal trade bill without change. And the bill successfully passed the House.
But there is a coalition of Republicans and Democrats who believe that we can handle our foreign trade in the old way without consideration of the needs of the rest of the world, simply basing all solutions on the raising of tariffs when we find we cannot produce in competition from abroad.
This protectionist group pitiably shows a narrowness, lack of imagination and understanding of the new situation in the world. It does not seem to realize that while we must consider the good of our own people and, where necessary, bring in new industries and train employees for new work, we fail to benefit our own citizens if we do not take a broader view and support the economies of the world.
Since financially we have become the leading nation of the non-Communist world, we can no longer function with regard only to what happens at home. While taking steps to adjust our situation at home to the needs of the world, we must nevertheless consider the whole world picture and use the kind of ingenuity and imagination that has developed our trade in the past.
Quite obviously, our Secretary of State is going to be obliged to deal with the East German government to get our grounded helicopter and its crew returned to the West section of Berlin.
This will give the Soviets pleasure, because they wish to force us to recognize East Germany as a separate entity from the Soviet Union, which we have not yet done.
But we cannot afford to let our men remain as prisoners, so we evidently will deal with whoever is able to free them. As a matter of fact, it matters very little, because recognition of any of these governments under Soviet control is always coupled with the knowledge that they can do nothing without Soviet approval.
E.R.
(Copyright, 1958, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)
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My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, June 14, 1958
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