Definition Needed

Possibly, a U.S. policy to meet the Kremlin's new soft line is secretly taking shape in Washington. But last week's public and semipublic manifestations gave no evidence of it. Instead, they gave an impression of confusion and weakness.

From the direction of the Defense Department came repeated talk of stretchout and cutbacks in the defense program. From the State Department area came some loose "thinking out loud" about U.S. concessions to communism in the Far East. Firmest of the week's policy moves were indications of reduced aid to European defense. All together, and coming amid the Soviet soft talk, they seemed to mean that the U.S. was willing to match fair words with generous deeds.

New York Times Columnist Anne O'Hare McCormick, no alarmist, was alarmed. She wrote: "At a moment when Europe's inclination to relax has received such encouragement from Moscow, the talk of slowdowns and cutbacks reported from Washington is the height of folly. More, it is dangerous and irresponsible beyond belief."

The atmosphere created by news leaks might be far worse than the actual fact of what is going on in Washington. Before the Reds began their peace offensive, the Eisenhower Administration was striving with might & main to cut defense expenditures without weakening the quality of defense. Treasury Secretary Humphrey, other advisers and Ike himself feel strongly that the present defense cost strains the peacetime economy and might produce deep-seated weakness if long continued.

In the light of what is known of 20 years of extravagant spending and of fantastic Pentagon bungling, it may indeed be possible to get more strength for less money. Similarly, the U.S. may find that it can usefully make certain concessions in return for the kind of Red concessions that can be enforced. And a safe way may be found to reduce aid to Europe.

But if there is a new strong policy into which such moves would fit, the policy has still to be announced. At present, economy talk is heard in a context of Russian peace moves--and consequently it sounds as if the Administration is falling for the new Soviet line.

What is needed is less "thinking out loud" and, in its place, a public statement by Ike defining the new policy.

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