Evening star., 1944-01-19
Lord Halifax and Hull
Confer on Pravda's
Peace Talk Story
BY JOHN M. HIGHTOWER,
Associated Press Stan Writer.

Lord Halifax, British Ambassador,
conferred with Secretary of State
Hull today concerning Pravda's
publication of rumors of separate
peace" talk between two Britons
and Nazi Foreign Minister Won
Ribbentrop.
Lord Halifax, it was apparent,
was just as much mystified by the
Pravda incident as President Roose-
velt professed himself to be at his
news conference yesterday. So far
as Is known here, the Russians ap-
parently have made no effort to ex-
plain to any Anglo-American rep
resentatives the purpose behind
Pravda's publication of the rumors.
Mr.. Hull and Lord Halifax also
talked briefly about the American
offer to Moscow to seek resumption
OF Russo-Polish diplomatic rela-
tions. Whether there has been any
indication of an early reply from
Russia was not made known.
Believed Hedging on Postwar Bets.
Through the tangle of speculation
on Moscow's motives for publishing
the rumor, the rough outlines of a
dual Russian foreign policy appear
to be taking shape.
In the absence of fuller explana-
ton from Moscow this policy may be
regarded as designed to protect
Russia's interests either in the
event that postwar international
collaboration works out-or in case
it fails. In other words, the Rus
slams appear to be hedging their
bets on postwar security.
The reaction here to Pravda S
story, which every one accepted as
having the usual official sanction in
Moscow, clearly implied that Wash
ington may have erred in assuming
that the Moscow and Teheran meet
ings settled any questions other than
those actually covered in the agree
ments.
Realistic in Foreign Policy.
The Soviet government is reputed
to be wholly realistic in it's foreign
policy, operating on the theory that,
while one course may be more desir-
able than others, it may eventually
prove impossible to follow.
Thus the Soviets, while hoping
and working for eventual security
in an international organization,
may simply be providing an alterna-
tive course in case a strong, ef-
fective organization fails to ma
terialize.
In line with such a policy the
Pravda blast would serve as a warn
ing to Britain (and the United
States that the Russian govern
ment is constantly alert to the DOS
sibility of an upset in present Allied
arrangements and intends always to
take the strongest action with re-
spect to any developments tending
in that direction.
Russia's determined attitude to-
ward the Polish territorial issue is
regarded as another evidence of a
policy that is potentially if not &C
tually double barreled. This atti-
tude is believed to be based largely
on strategic considerations. In that
case the question arises, if the world
is to be rebuilt along security lines
rather than by power politics, why
should Russia seek now to buttress
her defenses against some future ag-
gression in Western Europe?
The answer may be that Russia is
not yet convinced that security steps
can be taken SO effectively that for
many years, at least, there will be
no new aggressor in Western Eu-
rope. The same attitude is applied
to the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithu-
ania and Estonia and toward many
Balkan questions.