A dispatch from Iran said, “Premier Zahedi appealed directly to U.S. Ambassador Henderson today for immediate and substantial financial aid to save Iran from bankruptcy.” [Gen. Fazlollah Zahedi and Loy W. Henderson. From an Aug. 26th UPI report.]

Columnist David Lawrence, commenting on Democratic and Republican domestic and foreign policies said, “As it turns out, the Eisenhower administration is continuing foreign aid in rather substantial quantity, so the Europeans were unnecessarily alarmed when they put their bets on Stevenson and feared the Republican ‘economizers’.” [Aug. 26th column referencing comments made by Adlai Stevenson]

Those two quotations are related only as examples of the desire by various other countries for American aid—in plain words, cash or goods or the equivalent. Now, what is confuzin’ but not amusin’ to us is why substantial elements in Europe and Asia and points in between come to America with one hand outstretched for aid while the other hand holds a switch with which to berate Americans for “trying to buy friendship”. Today one country asks for or accepts our aid; tomorrow it pictures Uncle Sam as an evil old money-bags trying to ensnare the world with a net of gold. Those countries can’t have it both ways; if there is to be logic. Our aid is either of value or it isn’t. If it’s an evil thing, obviously given in an evil spirit, a foreign government has only to refrain from seeking it, or to reject it when it’s offered.