To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

Believers in democracy can only be horrified by the Truman proposals for Greece and Turkey. In the name of democracy he asks us to give $400 million for economic and military support of the bitterly anti-democratic regimes of those countries.

Any democrat knows that reaction, monarchism, and fascism are futile as defenses against communism. Only democracy can fight for democracy. The Royalist government of Greece, elected by fear, force, and fraud, supported by terror and concentration camps, staffed by stooges of the late dictator Metaxas and the Nazis, is no democracy and cannot fight for democracy.

We should intervene on the side of democracy in Greece. We should demand an immediate coalition government, with a rough one-third ratio of the left, center, and right respectively. We should then give such a government every aid in eliminating violence and terrorism and holding honest elections as soon as possible. We should give such a government and only such a government--economic and technical assistance. And we should do as much of this through the U.N. as we possibly can.

What are the chances of this wishful program being enacted rather than Truman's? Practically nil. The people and their leaders are both confused, the reactionary politicians in Congress too strong, the President himself is being advised by men with no conception of how to run a democratic foreign policy. What can anyone do? They can fight on this issue not with the hope of winning any but minor concessions, but with the hope of clearing up the confusion, of driving home to the people and the Administration and Congress, the point that democracy's enemies cannot defend democracy. Perhaps some time before it is too late--1948 perhaps--the tide can be turned. Allen H. Barton '45.