Forward Motion

Whether "relaxation," "distensione" or the "Spirit of Geneva," it was a fascinating puzzle. How real was it? How hopeful? How dangerous? Would the Russians at the (foreign ministers) Geneva meeting in October make actual concessions to match some of the fair words said at Geneva in July? Did the warm -- and slightly feverish -- welcome to a group of visiting Russian farmers mean that the U.S. muscles ached with the strain of keeping the nation's guard up? Were certain Europeans, so lately worried about U.S. "intransigence." unjustified in shaking warning heads over the perils of what they considered a U.S. flirtation with the Kremlin?

Last week the post-Geneva puzzle, in several important ways, became more clearly denned and less puzzling. President Eisenhower made a speech intended to stress how much Geneva left undone, how much was needed before Russia could be trustfully accepted in the family of nations. Judging from the visible reactions, his point did not get over to the U.S. public -- or at least to the press.

This failure was less serious than it might seem. The U.S. public, for all it cheered visiting Russians and enjoyed relaxation, knows the anti-Communist lesson thoroughly and is not likely to revert to indifference. There is, for instance, no clamor to reduce the military strength of the U.S. until the Communists make self-executing agreements on disarmament. There is still general agreement that the Red retreat has been brought about by 1) the military power of the West; 2) the growing political order and stability of the free world; and 3) the amazing U.S. economic record of success as the nation moved away from statism.

Last week the second and third points got impressive confirmation:

-- Secretary of State Dulles, in a bold move, proposed to reduce the infection in one of the free world's worst sore spots. He would end the bloody border clashes between

Israel and the Arab states by an international guarantee of boundaries, and he offered U.S. money to resettle the Arab refugees, whose misery has remained a thorn in the conscience of the free world.

-- Secretary of the Treasury Humphrey announced that the U.S. was in sight of two longed-for goals -- a balanced budget and lower taxes in 1956.

Public order in the free world, and economic freedom and progress are anti-Communist weapons that, in the long run, may prove even more effective than arms in giving body to the "Spirit of Geneva." On those fronts, last week saw not relaxation, but forward movement.

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