NEW YORK—Dag Hammerskjold, the Secretary General of the United Nations, has returned home, and again we seem to owe him a debt of gratitude for his gift of negotiation. His accomplishments in the Jordanian-Israeli dispute probably will not be known exactly for some time, but it is evident that he has succeeded in easing the tension between those two countries.

Of course, the basic thing that has to be brought about is an acknowledgement on the part of the Arabs that Israel is there to stay and that no change and no aggression against Israel will be allowed, any more than there will be any aggression on the part of Israel against the Arabs. If this could once be accepted, the whole situation would be clarified immensely, but so far this has not been completely accepted by the Arab states.

It was interesting to have the Vice-President announce to the National Association of Manufacturers that "the prospects are good that the Administration will be able to submit its fourth balanced budget in a row next January."

I wonder what domestic programs will be cut to avoid a tax increase, but I am grateful that the Vice-President had the courage to tell this audience that there would not be any tax cut.

I also am grateful that he pointed out that there must be increased foreign aid and trade and information programs to counter the non-military offensive of the Soviet Union in the uncommitted countries of Asia, Africa, and even of South America.

I am sure some of the Vice-President's listeners did not like this part of his speech, and yet they should be grateful that he told them even such unpleasant truths. To live in a fool's paradise is hardly wise, and I shall be surprised if we can meet the non-military Soviet offensive without some additional taxation.

We should certainly have pointed out to us in detail what the Soviets do to sell their way of life and what their achievements of the last 40 years within their own borders have been. They have found it necessary for their people to live under a war economy.

We certainly departed from our war economy a long while ago, and I think it is time that we took a new look at the whole situation in which the United States finds itself today and ask our leaders for new and more imaginative solutions than have yet been offered by the Administration or by Congressional leaders.

I read with interest Italy's suggestion that the U.S. join Western Europe in a development plan similar to the Marshall Plan for the countries of the Middle East. This suggestion deserves careful study. I think it might have considerable merit.