Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

Current Events
By Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.
PREMIER NEEDED
France is again without a leader. Pierre Mendes-France,
the most dynamic premier France has had since World War
II, fell after seven months in power. He thus went slightly
beyond the average for postwar governments. The issue on
which Parliament ousted Mendes-France was his policy in
North Africa, where he made important concessions to
native nationalism. But he had already lost some of his orig
inal support because of his refusal to back EDC, his aban
donment of northern Indochina, and his vigorous economic
program. With the French National Assembly divided be
tween six parties of nearly equal strength, it will be diffi
cult to find a new premier who can command a majority.
The political maneuvering may take weeks, and ratification
of the Paris treaties in the upper house is likely to be de
layed. If a new government proves powerless there will
doubtless be strong pressure for the return of Mendes-
France.
DANGEROUS DAYS
Tension in the Far East has not slackened as U. S. forc
es begin the evacuation of the Tachen Islands. The U. N. Se
curity Council met at the request of New Zealand to con
sider the threat to world peace from the Formosa issue. Rus
sia offered a resolution condemning U. S.
"aggression" and
calling for the withdrawal of all non-Communist forces from
the Formosa area. The Council adopted instead, by a 9-1
vote, a New Zealand resolution inviting Communist China
to take part in U. N. discussions regarding
Formosa. Two
days later, Premier Chow En-lai sent a harsh refusal which
seemed to end all hope of settlement through U. N. diplo
matic action. The explosive character of the situation was
emphasized when U. S. planes shot down two Communist
Mig fighters, the most serious clash since the Korean War.
U. S. policy still is not clear regarding the surrender of any
more off-shore islands to the Reds. Peiping apparently will
be satisfied with nothing less than the total destruction of
the Nationalist government and a full place in the U. N.
SOUTHEAST ASIA TREATY
The U. S. Senate ratified the Southeast Asia collective
defense treaty by the overwhelming vote of 82 to 1. There
was little debate and the only dissenter was William Lang
er, North Dakota Republican, a confirmed isolationist. The
treaty was signed at Manila last September by the U. S.,
Philippines, Australia, France, Great Britain, New Zealand,
Pakistan, and Thailand. It joins these nations together in
mutual defense against any Communist attack. The treaty
provides for consultation in case of internal Communist sub
version in any country. The eight foreign ministers will meet
in Bangkok, Thailand, on February 23 to consider this prob
lem.
GOVERNMENT AND HEALTH
President Eisenhower has renewed the request he made
to Congress last year for government reinsurance of private
health programs, to help them offer broader benefits. He
asked for an initial fund of $25 million to help private in
surance plans, such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield, give
greater protection against severe or prolonged illnesses. They
Februarv 16, 1955
would eventually reimburse the government by reinsurance
premiums. Eisenhower also requested a separate fund of
$20 million to match state and local medical expenditures for
those on relief rolls. There is also a proposal of government
insurance for mortgage loans on the construction of new
hospitals and other health facilities. In addition the Presi
dent asked for federal aid in various fields of medical re
search, including the "smog" problem. Last year the Ad
ministration-backed health bill did not pass, and the new
one is already being attacked by Democrats as inadequate.
Their basic criticism is that the reinsurance plan does noth
ing for the neediest group the 40 per cent of the popula
tion who have no private health insurance but are not poor
enough to receive public aid.
BUSINESS OR PLEASURE
Professional boxing and the legitimate theater are sub
ject to federal antitrust laws, according to two new Supreme
Court decisions. The Court seems to have gone against an
earlier ruling on professional baseball. In the baseball case,
going back to 1922 and reaffirmed in 1953, the Court held
that professional baseball was primarily a local exhibition,
and that its interstate features were incidental. The Court
now rules, however, that prize fighting and the theater are
interstate commerce and therefore subject to federal antimonopoly
controls. Two justices dissented in the boxing case,
and it is certainly difficult to see the distinction between
boxing and baseball. The decisions open the way for federal
prosecution of the International Boxing Club,
which controls
all championship bouts, and of the Shubert theatrical com
bine. It seems that new Congressional legislation is probably
needed to clarify the status of professional sports.
STEEL FOR INDIA
Russia will build a steel plant of one million tons ca
pacity for India under an agreement recently signed. The
plant will be located in central India, about halfway between
Bombay and Calcutta. The cost of the material and technical
aid which Russia will supply is estimated at $91 million. The
Indian government can still cancel the contract, however, if
technical specifications are not satisfactory
or if cost esti
mates go too high. India's present steel production is one and
a half million tons a year, but she wants to increase this to
six million tons by 1961. A West German firm is already
building one new steel plant, and the British are negotiating
for the construction of another.
HERO'S DEATH
raising
One of the six men in the famous picture of the flag
on Iwo Jima was Marine Pfc. Ira Hayes. He and
the two others in the picture who survived the battle were
treated as heroes and saw the scene become immortal. But
Hayes did not fare so well. An uneducated Pima Indian
from southern Arizona, he became an alcoholic soon after the
war. He was arrested fifty-one times for drunkenness, in
spite of the best efforts of friends and welfare groups to
help him. Last month, at the age of 32, he died of drunken
ness and exposure. A sad ending for a national hero, but no
worse than the fate of many
path.
others who follow the same
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