Cowles Criticizes Failure to Back Dulles at Geneva

Criticizing the administration's policy toward Red China as unrealistic, John Cowles '21, president of the Harvard Alumni Association, told the group meeting at Rochester, N.Y., Saturday that Secretary of State John Foster Dulles was "handcuffed" at Geneva.

Cowles claimed that the present Red China policy took almost all bargaining power from Dulles. The U.S. might profitably recognize the Mao Tse-Tung government if it were to get enough concessions in exchange, he said.

Questioning our policy toward India, Cowles declared it to our best interests to help the South Asian country. He also advocated more cooperation with the United Nations and urged a renewed effort on President Eisenhower's part to reach a world disarmament agreement.

"It seems to me completely unrealistic," he said, "for American senators to proclaim that never, never on any terms will we recognize Red China or permit her entrance into the United Nations." If we could get Red China to withdraw from Korea and permit free elections throughout North and South Korea, to cease intervening in Indochina, and to agree to the independence of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodi, "wouldn't we clearly be willing to recognize Red China and waive opposition to her admission into the United Nations?" he queried.

"Mr. Dulles was handcuffed at Geneva," Cowles continued. "No Secretary of State ever entered an important international conference with so little freedom in which to negotiate."