Evening star., 1944-01-23
Diplomatic Victory in Peace
Harder to Win Than War
U. S. Holds Key to Military Success But
Asks Nothing in Return But Guarantees
Against Future World Conflicts
BY Constantine BrOwn


pendence of the border states in keep
ing with the fundamental principles
laid down in the Atlantic Charter, the
Charter will become another Kellogg
BRAND pact or another nonaggression
treaty, just scrap Of paper.
The Soviet government has accepted
the principles enunciated in the char
ter Maxim Litvinon, an old hand at
international conferences, signed the
document in January, 1912. At the
time the Germans were driving hard
into the heart of Russia and no one
knew when and where they were going
to be stopped. Questions such as the
western borders of Russia were academic
and nobody wished to bother about
them.
Conditions Have Changed.
The Poles and the Russians had
patched up their diplomatic relations
which were severed when the Russian
armies entered Poland and in associa-
ton with the Hitlerites partitioned
Poland for the fourth time in its long
history. The Polish government in exile
was fully recognized by the Kremlin
and ambassadors were exchanged once
more. In 1912 the United Nations stood
/ firm together on the American slogan,
United we stand divided we fall"
Things have changed since then.
| American production has sent goods in
| huge quantities to the Russian front.
| The American and British navies and
| merchant marine, overcoming unbeliev-
able hazards and difficulties, have
| managed to get into Russia the war
material and food the Russian fighter
so desperately needed. Without Amert-
can production and American and
British naval efforts the courage and
determination Of the Soviet soldiers
would have been useless. They would
not have been able to resist the Ger
man military machine.
Even the secondary "peripheric" OPP
erations of the American and British
forces in North Africa and the Mediter-
ranean theater have drawn sunclent
forces from the eastern front to enable
the Red Army to obtain its great vic.
| tories. The threat of an imminent in
vasion across the Channel compels the
Nazi high command to keep at least
go divisions in France In perpetual
readiness.
Had it not been for that threat and
had it not been for the presence OF the
Allies in Africa at least IS per cent
of the 100 Nazi divisions in Western
and Southern Europe would now be
fighting in Russia and it is highly doubt
full that the Russians could have reached
the old Polish border or even the
Dnieper River, although the lease-lend
assistance was great.
Unfortunately, the Russians advance.
which was made possible exclusively by
the American and British contribution
to the war effort, has brought forth
political problem which could have un-
pleasant effects on the relations among
all members of the United Nations.
Have Good Case
In a somewhat arbitrary manner the
Soviet government claims that certain
regions of Eastern Europe-on its west
ern borders-are Russian because they
had been incorporated "constitutionally"
into the Soviet Union by plebiscites held
at a time when Russia was the ally OF
the Reich
Moreover, so far, the Moscow gov
ernment has shown a desire to solve
all problems concerning the future bor-
ders of the union single-handed and
with complete disregard of the Atlantic
Charter That document, it is true,
does not mention specifically any fu-
ture boundary 1t does not, because no
one could foresee in 1941 what would
happen two or three years later. But
it does contain unmistakably a funda-
mental principle that all nations are
entitled to enjoy their freedom.
One of the characteristics Of old
time diplomacy is It's means of inter-
preting" documents and facts. From
the old world diplomatic viewpoint the
Russians have good case If they say
the King of Yugoslavia is no longer
wanted by his people; that the Polish
government in exile no longer repre-
sents the Polish people; that Gen. de
Gaulle represents the vast majority Of
the French people, and that the plebis-
the Soviet Union is true expression
of the wishes of the peoples of those
countries.
The United States can say little about
these matters and the official utter
ances of the State Department Of three
or four years ago cannot be brought
up again lest we injure the sensibinties
of our Russian friends.
Difficult to Understand.
Nevertheless, whatever diplomatic ar
gument may be set forth by the Krem.
lin, it is difficult for the average Amer
lean to understand why Russia should
undertake to solve, single handed.
problems which appear to be the busi-
ness of all the United Nations II We
are unselflshly associated in our war
effort there is no reason why this
unselhsh association should not exist
in the organization Of peace.
Judging by what has been disclosed
about the Moscow and Teheran con-
-ferences, it is hardly probable that at
those conferences the question Of an
equal voice for America in the settle
ment of postwar European political
questions was brought forcefully 10
the fore.
The Red Armies victories apparently
have awed the British and the Amer.
ican diplomats. The Moscow confer
ence produced a series of agreements
which on paper appeared to have an
| SWered all Ollr wishes Rllt whAp n