The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-11-29

pOSIpOneInenC.
 One reason was that Stalin wouldn't budge out of Russia, didn't want to come even to Te- heran or some other non-R Russian, neutral spot. He said he was busy fighting the war and couldn't t spare the time. This excuse was understandable when Russia had Nazi armies on her soil. But now the Red Army is largely on enemy soil and the tables are reversed. While the President in the past has been glad to go to 'Teheran, and has proposed meetings in AL aska, Eastern Siberia adjoining Alaska, or any other reasonable place, he did not feel that he should trek half way around the world a second time, especially when he had some pressing prob. lemS of his own at home, among them a new Congress and pos sible Cabint reorganization.
 ROOSEVELT IN THE MIDDLE
 Perhaps even more important, however, was the fact that the main points to be discussed at the Big Three meeting were poli- teal problems between Britain and Russia, in which Roosevelt would have found himself right in the middle.
 The President acted as middle man between Churchill and Stalin at Teheran in ironing out the Balkans, plus the time and place of the Second Front. FDR swung his weight with Stalin when 1t came to the Second Front and also veered toward Stalin re- garding the right of Russia to in- fluence Bulgaria, Rumania and the eastern half of the Balkans.
 However, a lot more problems between Stalin and Churchill have arisen to be irOned out and
 the President is thinking twice
 before plunking himself down in the middle. One is Iran, where Moscow newspapers already are complaining about the presence
 of US troops, even though
 those troops were sent there to
 speed lend-lease supplies to Russia.
 DIFFICULT PROBLEMS AHEAD
 Another is the Dardenelles and Russia's cherished ambition for an outlet through the Black Sea. Another is Greece, where British and Russian interests could be lot more harmonious. Then there are the still difficult problems of Poland and the states bordering between Russia and western Europe.
 All of this has made the Presi- dent think twice about landing IT, the middle of a Russian British clash of interest. This clash, it is recognized, is bound to exist It has existed between the Bri- tish Empire and the Russian Em- pirc ever since the Crimeal War. when British troops went to the side of Turkey to prevent the Czar from penetrating through the Dardenelles.
 It Is the century old fight by
 the British to keep the Slavs, with the greatest land mass in
 the world, bottled up, with no
 warm water port giving them
 access to the sea.
 While the President must lace this problem eventually, he IS be- urged to wait until Stalin is in a more negotiable frame of mind. The British, on the other hand, believe these problems should not be postponed, should be faced im- lnediately. They are urging that the Big-Three conference not be postponed. For the time being, however, the President seems to favor postponement.
 SIGNIFICANT G. OF.
 POST T-MORTEM
 House Republican leaders head ed by shrewd Minority Leader Joe Martin and astute, hard- hitting Republican Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Charlie Halleck of Indian helG a very significant secret post mortem on the elections last week.
 Nine lower chamber COP big.wigs attended the session In a Washington hotel, devoted four hours to letting their hair down, setting up a program for
 19A5 and 1946.
 Most inSistent demand of all was voiced by Halleck, who wants to start working ai once - 1.,11 S--;,--, = -,,s--, Sa- T,n.