DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Dorothy Schramm newspaper clippings, 1949-1955 (folder 1 of 2) | 1950-05-03 Des Moines Register Article: "Losing Cold War"

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Dorothy Schramm newspaper clippings, 1949-1955 (folder 1 of 2)

1950-05-03 Des Moines Register Article: "Losing Cold War"

[[Article text]]
"We are losing the cold war", John Cowles, president of the Minneapolis Star and Tribune Company, told the Des Moines Advertising club Tuesday.
[[Photo caption in bold]]
COWLES.
[[end photo caption]]
Cowles, who also is chairman of the board of The Register and Tribune Company, said he thinks China could have been saved several years ago, but that it now is too late.
He addressed the 210 members and guests of the Ad club at the annual Newspaper Day luncheon at Hotel Savery. Cowles was a member of the club when he lived in Des Moines. His audience--unusual for the Ad club--included six women, two of them his sisters.
[[Bold subtitle]]
Two-Month Trip.
[[end bold]]
Robert H. Harter, regional sales manager for WHO, introduced the publisher.
Cowles recently returned from a two-month trip to Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Greece and French North Africa, one of his many trips abroad. He served in the World War I army and in the World War II was a special assistant to Edward R. Stettinius, jr., lend-lease administrator.
"We must realize that this half-way war is deadly serious business", Cowles said.
[[Bold subtitle]]
May Become Hot.
[[end bold]]
"Currently, in many parts of the globe, we are losing the cold war. If we continue to lose it, I think it will probably become a hot war.
[[bold]]"If we hope to save much of southeast Asia from Russia, as we have at least to date saved Greece and Turkey and western Europe, we have no time to lose.[[end bold]]
"Some qualified observers think that Indochina already is all but lost. If it goes, the holding of Siam would be extremely difficult. The situation in Burma, Malaya and Indonesia is precarious."
[[Bold subtitle]]
New Policy.
[[end bold]]
Cowles said there is nothing to be gained from looking backward at past mistakes except to use the lessons from them to correct the course of the future.
[[bold]]What is imperatively necessary, he said, is a fundamental shift to a new, affirmative, American policy of 'Asia for the Asiatics.'[[end bold]]
"The American people, he emphasized, "always have believed in freedom, not only for themselves, but for other peoples. We never have been imperialistic or colonial in our foreign policy. But the Russians use the claim that we are in all their propaganda, and say we are guilty of human exploitation at home in the way we treat Negro problems. There are a billion colored people in Asia and Africa.
[[Bold subtitle]]
Philippine Pattern.
[[end bold]]
"The pattern that we used with the Philippines is the pattern that should be ours for all of Asia."
Cowles said he believes we should "diplomatically insist" that the British offer Malaya dominion status and that the French agree to give Indochina its complete freedom, and "enforce them by Marshall plan fund withdrawal."
[[Bold]]"The decisive area is at home," Cowles warned. "Let no one conclude that all we need to do to win the cold war is simply to scatter American dollars extravagantly around the world.[[end bold]]
"We must provide adequate funds for our military services to keep our defenses strong.
"We must appropriate ample amounts for scientific research and development of new weapons.
[[Bold subtitle]]
Waste at Home.
[[end bold]]
"Such expenditures should come only after we have drastically eliminated governmental waste here at home.
"We must follow policies that will keep the United States financially solvent. In many ways, failure to do that might develop the weakness that would cause us to lose the war to Russia, whether it be hot or cold.
[[Bold subtitle]]
Psychological Strength.
[[end bold]]
"We must intensify our efforts to translate all our idealistic phrases about equality of opportunity in America to living reality.
[[Bold]]"Only then will we be psychologically strong, which is second in importance only to being strong in a military and economic sense."[[end bold]]
Cowles, who has been in the newspaper business since his graduation from Harvard university in 1920, also is in the radio broadcasting and magazine publishing businesses.
He said newspapers have improved enormously in 30 years and have gained circulation despite all the new media providing information on current events-- newsreels, radio and television.
[[Bold Subtitle]]
Ad club "Extra."
[[end bold]]
Daily newspaper circulation, he pointed out,s has increased in the United States from 27 million in 1920 to nearly 53 million in 1949.
The Des Moines Tribune printed for the occasion a special Ad Club Newspaper Day "extra" carrying a 5-column cut of the speakers' table and the text of the Cowles speech. The photo of the table was taken at noon, the cut was made in 18 minutes, and the extras distributed at the doors as the crowd left  the meeting at 1:25 p. m.

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[[Article text]] "We are losing the cold war", John Cowles, president of the Minneapolis Star and Tribune Company, told the Des Moines Advertising club Tuesday. [[Photo caption in bold]] COWLES. [[end photo caption]] Cowles, who also is chairman of the board of The Register and Tribune Company, said he thinks China could have been saved several years ago, but that it now is too late. He addressed the 210 members and guests of the Ad club at the annual Newspaper Day luncheon at Hotel Savery. Cowles was a member of the club when he lived in Des Moines. His audience--unusual for the Ad club--included six women, two of them his sisters. [[Bold subtitle]] Two-Month Trip. [[end bold]] Robert H. Harter, regional sales manager for WHO, introduced the publisher. Cowles recently returned from a two-month trip to Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Greece and French North Africa, one of his many trips abroad. He served in the World War I army and in the World War II was a special assistant to Edward R. Stettinius, jr., lend-lease administrator. "We must realize that this half-way war is deadly serious business", Cowles said. [[Bold subtitle]] May Become Hot. [[end bold]] "Currently, in many parts of the globe, we are losing the cold war. If we continue to lose it, I think it will probably become a hot war. [[bold]]"If we hope to save much of southeast Asia from Russia, as we have at least to date saved Greece and Turkey and western Europe, we have no time to lose.[[end bold]] "Some qualified observers think that Indochina already is all but lost. If it goes, the holding of Siam would be extremely difficult. The situation in Burma, Malaya and Indonesia is precarious." [[Bold subtitle]] New Policy. [[end bold]] Cowles said there is nothing to be gained from looking backward at past mistakes except to use the lessons from them to correct the course of the future. [[bold]]What is imperatively necessary, he said, is a fundamental shift to a new, affirmative, American policy of 'Asia for the Asiatics.'[[end bold]] "The American people, he emphasized, "always have believed in freedom, not only for themselves, but for other peoples. We never have been imperialistic or colonial in our foreign policy. But the Russians use the claim that we are in all their propaganda, and say we are guilty of human exploitation at home in the way we treat Negro problems. There are a billion colored people in Asia and Africa. [[Bold subtitle]] Philippine Pattern. [[end bold]] "The pattern that we used with the Philippines is the pattern that should be ours for all of Asia." Cowles said he believes we should "diplomatically insist" that the British offer Malaya dominion status and that the French agree to give Indochina its complete freedom, and "enforce them by Marshall plan fund withdrawal." [[Bold]]"The decisive area is at home," Cowles warned. "Let no one conclude that all we need to do to win the cold war is simply to scatter American dollars extravagantly around the world.[[end bold]] "We must provide adequate funds for our military services to keep our defenses strong. "We must appropriate ample amounts for scientific research and development of new weapons. [[Bold subtitle]] Waste at Home. [[end bold]] "Such expenditures should come only after we have drastically eliminated governmental waste here at home. "We must follow policies that will keep the United States financially solvent. In many ways, failure to do that might develop the weakness that would cause us to lose the war to Russia, whether it be hot or cold. [[Bold subtitle]] Psychological Strength. [[end bold]] "We must intensify our efforts to translate all our idealistic phrases about equality of opportunity in America to living reality. [[Bold]]"Only then will we be psychologically strong, which is second in importance only to being strong in a military and economic sense."[[end bold]] Cowles, who has been in the newspaper business since his graduation from Harvard university in 1920, also is in the radio broadcasting and magazine publishing businesses. He said newspapers have improved enormously in 30 years and have gained circulation despite all the new media providing information on current events-- newsreels, radio and television. [[Bold Subtitle]] Ad club "Extra." [[end bold]] Daily newspaper circulation, he pointed out,s has increased in the United States from 27 million in 1920 to nearly 53 million in 1949. The Des Moines Tribune printed for the occasion a special Ad Club Newspaper Day "extra" carrying a 5-column cut of the speakers' table and the text of the Cowles speech. The photo of the table was taken at noon, the cut was made in 18 minutes, and the extras distributed at the doors as the crowd left the meeting at 1:25 p. m.