Evening star., 1944-10-15
Political Trend in Balkans
Causing British Concern
Churchill and Eden Seek to Reach Understanding
With Stain as Series of Events Puts
Strain on Present Relations
By Constantine Brown.

conversations in Moscow will be known
to the world sometime In the course Of
the year through the future actions Of
the two major members Of the United
Nations rather than through the usu-
ally meaningless ofiicial statements
given at the end of such meetings.
High officials in Washington have
been aware that ever since the end of
the Teheran conference the relations
between Great Britain and the USSR
have deteriorated. 1t was hoped, how
ever, that the American British Of
fensive on the western front, which
was, on the surface at least, the major
reason for Russia's discontentment,
would lessen the tension. 1t was hoped
that the political difficulties which had
arisen in the last 10 months between
Moscow and London would remain dor
mant at least until all organized NaA
resistance had been crushed.
But these hopes have faded away In
the last two months. At the Roosevelt
Churchill meeting at Quebec the Brit
ish Prime Minister and his Foreign
Secretary, Anthony Eden, presented the
situation to Mr.. Roosevelt very clearly
and somewhat bluntly. Mr.. Roosevelt's
commitments and reasons Of military
strategy kept his hands tied, and it
was at his advice that Mr.. Churchill and
Mr.. Eden decided at Quebec to make
quick trip to Moscow to discuss not the
collective problems of the United Ma
tions but the pertinent problems which
had led to the deterioration of the
British Russian relations.
Linked to British Survival.
The most vital matters worrying Mr..
Churchill, who has emphatically stated
that he is not Prime Minister of his
majesty's government in order to preside
at its dismemberment, are Russias un-
in Central Europe, and the strange at
titude of the Russian government to-
ward Poland and its fighting under
ground forces.
Both these matters are closely linked
with the survival of the British Empire
as a flrst-class power, and Russia's sin
gle-handed way in which she has ham
died both questions has given ground to
very grave suspicious among the British
government and the British ruling class
There has not been much love between
London and Moscow ever since the
downfall of the Cars in 1919. The
Russians have been suspicious of Great
Britain for long time. Between 1899
and 1941, when Russia was an associate
of Germany. the British government was
very outSpoken in it's criticism of the
Soviet. Thus 1t is related by diplomats
who were in Moscow in June, 1941, that
Stain was gravely concerned that Brit
ain might join Germany when Hitler
turned against his erstwhile ally.
But Stain, who is a stark realist felt
all the time that the alliance between
Russia and Britain was not love match
but a marriage of convenience and
would last just as long as the agreement
was helpful to both sides.
Explains Pravda's Action.
Hence he watched every move the
British have been making and on several
occasions allowed his government
owned press to cast some doubts about
Britain's ultimate intentions. This ex-
plains, for instance, the blast at the
British last winter when the Pravda
accused the British government with
flirting with the idea of peace with
Hitler. This also explains the frequent
outbursts of impatience with the slow
ness of the Anglo-Saxons to start an
offensive against the Germans on the
western front. The British were usu-
ally singled out as the main culprits,
and indirectly they were accused of
attempting to weaken Russia to such an
extent that she could not become Brit
aims rival in Europe and in Asia. The
Russian general staff and, of course,
Stain himself were fully aware of the
conditions which existed in the United
States and in England and realized that
from strictly military point of view
a large-scale offensive could not be un-
dertaken earlier than the summer Of
1914.
1t is now well-known fact that in
the summer of 1943 the discomfort of
Russia had reached such point that
there was real possibility that the
USSR might withdraw from the war.
Hitler was offering his former ally ex-
cellent terms. This situation caused
Secretary Hulls and Secretary Eden's