Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-08-29
Russio Gets Tuste
Of Cool Language
By John H. Cline.

note of the fact that recent months have
brought marked change in the tone OF
important official utterances and COM
muniques bearing on our relations with
Russia. Whatever its real significance,
this is circumstance from which CO..
tain differences may be drawn, provided
1t is understood that they are based on
speculation and nothing more.
Curiously enough, the first to take
public notice of this cooler tone toward
Russia was the Daily Worker, ofacial
mouthpiece Of the American Communist
party, which certainly cannot be ac-
cused of any lack of sympathy for the
Soviet regime. The Daily Worker print
ed an editorial Thursday commenting on
the Presidents speech at Ottawa. On
the whole the comment of the Com
munist publication was favorable, but
the following paragraph makes Interest,"
ing reading: While the speech was not
q review OF the war as whole, nor
report on the Quebec decisions, 1t was
nevertheless difficult to understand the
absence of any warmer and more spe-
cific references to our Russian Allies.
either on the great fight they are making
or on the urgent need of three power
conference" But If the Presidents Of
tawa speech was lacking in warmth In its
reference to Russia, the joint statement
issued by Mr. Roosevelt and Prime Min.
lister Churchill after the Quebec confer
ence was even cooler.
The statement itself was devoid of any
complimentary reference to the Soviets.
In fact, Russia was mentioned only
twice-once when Mr. Roosevelt and Mr..
Churchill announced that another con-
ference would be held before the end of
the year between British and American
authorities, in addition ito any tripartite
meeting which 1t may be possible to ar
range with Soviet Russia" and again
when 1t was stated that full reports of
the decisions so far as they affect the
war against Germany and Italy will be
furnished" to the Soviet government.
After this communique had been released
the President and the Prime Minister
talked with newspapermen for IS min
utes. Throughout that discussion, so far
as published reports show, there was but
one cordial reference to Russia. And
that came in sentence in which Mr..
Churchill spoke-not for quotation-of
the superb exertions of the Russian ally.
Unofficial Explanation Made.
Standing alone, this might not seem
to be OF any particular significance EN-
phasis was put on the point that "the
military discussions of the chiefs of stan
turned very largely upon the war against
Japan" with whom Russia is at peace.
And the fact that the Pacific phase Of
the war loomed prominently in the dis
cussions was advanced, unotacially, as
possible explanation of the failure Of
Premier Stain to attend the conference
or to send representative.
But the war with Japan also figured
prominently In the discussions at the
Casablanca meeting, and Russia was at
peace with Japan at that time. Yet the
tone of the Casablanca communicate was
vastly different from that issued at
Quebec.
AS to the scope of the Casablanca dis
cussions, the communique said: THE
entire field of the war was surveyed,
theater by theater throughout the world,
and all resources were marshaled for a
more intense prosecution of the war by
land, sea and air" Complete agree
ment was reached on the conduct of the
campaigns of 1943 against Germany,
Italy and Japan" There was no sug-
gestion, however, that Stain had stayed
away because Russia was not at war
with Japan. On the contrary, the COM
munique said: Premier Stain was cor
daily invited to meet the President and
Prime Minister, in which case the meet
ing would have been held very much
farther to the East. He was unable to
leave Russia at this time on account Of
the great offensive which he himself as
commander in chief is directing" Rus
sia's military position was more critical
then than it Is now, but the Casablanca
communique contained no hint that
Stain stayed away for fear of offending
Japan.
contrast AT CdSdDldncd.
And what about the Soviet military
effort? This is what the Casablanca
communique had to say on that point:
1.-THE President and Prime Minister real
lie up to the full the enormous weight
of the war which Russia is successfully
bearing along her whole front, and their
prime object has been to draw as much
weight as possible off the Russian armies
by engaging the enemy as heavily as
possible at the best selected points" It
would be difficult to find. any sharper
contrast than that between this Ian
guage and the chilly phrases of the
Quebec statement.
Finally, at Casablanca 1t was an
nounced that Premier Stain has been"
fully informed of the military proposals.
At Quebec the statement was that full
reports will be" furnished the Soviet
government
1t is worth while, perhaps, to repeat
that any attempt to read too much sig.
nificance into what is said on one occa-
sion, or left unsaid on another, can lead
to conclusions which may be very far
afleld from the true facts. But, grant,
ing this, it is not reasonable to suppose
that the striking change of tone from
Casablanca to Quebec is entirely lacking
in significance.
Important communicates like these are
drafted with great care, and 1t Is most
that the choice of language at
Quebec was made without careful refer
ence to what had been said seven
months earlier at Casablanca. And If
this he Soft the O,ehec sta+er,er+ ,,,,s