Minority View

For all the general cheering that greeted its announcement, the U.S. visit of Nikita Khrushchev is packed with political dynamite. Republican Presidential Hopeful Richard Nixon, for example, is certain to be blamed if the Khrushchev trip turns diplomatically sour--even though it was arranged by President Eisenhower with little or no real reference to Nixon's presence in Russia. No one recognizes Nixon's problem more than New York's Governor Nelson Rockefeller, who has himself said noncommittally: "We want to contribute to an easing of tensions, but we want it known we are not letting our guard down." On that platform, Rocky is in a position to jump either way, depending on how the Khrushchev visit turns out.

Many another U.S. politician has followed Rocky's example, either remaining quiet or simply making meaningless noises. But last week Connecticut's able Freshman Democratic Senator Thomas Dodd delivered the most forceful expression so far of the opposition to a Khrushchev visit. Dodd's speech was made to a near-empty Senate and went virtually unreported by the press--but if the Eisenhower-Khrushchev exchange does turn out badly, then Dodd's words could become the battle cry in one of the decade's hottest political controversies.

"What," asked Connecticut's Dodd, "would the Senate and the country have thought if in 1939 President Roosevelt had invited Adolf Hitler to a barnstorming tour of the U.S., fresh from conquest of Czechoslovakia, Austria and Poland and in the midst of his extermination of millions of Jews?" Extending the comparison, Dodd said: "Khrushchev rose to Communist prominence as the hangman of the Ukraine. He has maintained himself in power as the butcher of Budapest."

Hope of Liberty. Dodd's strongest point was that the very fact of the visit would enhance Khrushchev's prestige and position at home and in the Soviet satellites--even while weakening the Western alliance. Said Dodd: "We can be certain that the satellite peoples, who still cling to the hope of liberty, will be flooded with photographs of Khrushchev being wined and dined, flattered and applauded by the leaders and people of our country. Khrushchev's visit will be interpreted as a reflection of American acceptance of permanent Soviet domination of their lands."

In the free world, said Dodd, the U.S.'s decision to opt for Big Two talks might seem like "appeasement," might have a "divisive effect" upon U.S. allies fearful of secret deals. U.S. allies "under the guns of Communism" in West Berlin, Formosa, South Korea would interpret Khrushchev in the U.S. as "a softening of our determination to resist." Said Dodd: "Those who have been soft on Communism will grow softer. Those who are unconcerned about the Communist menace will become more indifferent. Those who have been sounding the alarms will find their difficulties multiplied."

True Peace. Democrat Dodd offered specific recommendations for "salvaging something from this debacle in the hope of limiting the harm wherever possible." Among them: the President should 1) mince no words with Khrushchev on the issue of Europe's captive nations; 2) insist that Khrushchev withdraw his 1958 ultimatum on Berlin before engaging in further negotiations on Germany; 3) declare null and void all the concessions the U.S. tentatively offered to the Russians at the Geneva conference, e.g., decreasing Western propaganda activities; 4) emphasize to Khrushchev unmistakably the absolute U.S. determination to defend West Berlin.

In broader terms, Dodd had definite notions about how the U.S. people should greet Khrushchev. "I hope," he said, "that during Khrushchev's visit we shall hear church bells in the land, tolling their remembrance for the murdered millions behind the Iron Curtain. I hope there will be public observances of prayer. I hope there will be peaceful demonstrations of our dedication to that true peace which can only be achieved by spreading freedom and justice throughout the earth. Let there be no cheers for the Red dictator, no crowds assembled to greet him, no flattery or flowers. Let our people be civil but silent."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.