The Wilmington morning star., 1945-04-19
Effect On Big Three
By ANNE o'HARE MCCORMICK

BY ANNE O'HARE MCCORMICK
The picture of Winston Churchill snapped
as he left No. 10 Downing Street to 60 to the
House of Commons last Friday, is revealing
picture of what the death of President Roose-
welt means to the Allied leaders, particularly
in Britain. The Prime Minister'S face was
grimly set in a mask of grief. Mr.. Churchill
had received staggering blow in the loss of
friend and the dissolution of a personal part
nership almost unique in the annals of war
alliances. 1t was not his craftsmanship that
brought the United States to the side of Britain
when everything seemed lost. Roosevelt's clear
vision of the vital interests of this country
inspired the Lend Lease program and put
us into the struggle long before we were at
tackled Yet without the indomitable spirit of
Churchill, expressing the will OF Britain to
stand against overwhelming odds, American
help would have been vain, and in the record
it will rebound to the glory of the Prime
Minister'S leadership that he won American
support in Britain darkest hour and establish
ed bond with the President that was un-
uuestionably one of the decisive factors in
winning the war.
In the great chapter of history. ending. with
Mr. Roosevelts sudden DEATH nothing will
be more interesting to the chronicler than the
inner workings of the Big Three directorate.
q
President and the Prime Minister-in the top
council. The first meeting, in August, 1941.
produced the Atlantic Charter, manifesto of
solidarity but the actual war partnership was
forged in Churchills three-Week visit to Wash
ington after America entered the conflict, and
from then until last week the two statesmen
remained the supreme umpires OF strategy,
military and political, on the western front.
In spite of differences of opinion, they re-
manned fast friends.
Since Russia was drawn into the struggle
before we were, Churchill was the first to
confer with Stain The initial visit to Moscow
did not 60 very well. The Russians were de-
manding 1.-The second 'front.'" and for nearly
two years the western powers were unable
to concentrate for the attack on Europe the
forces they deemed necessary for a successful
invasion. During all this troubled time Roose-
welt was working for a meeting with the Soviet
leader. He believed the war coalition would
not work smoothly and with full effectiveness
without direct conferences OF the three leaders
Much less he thought could it evolve into
peace partnership unless the predestined part
ners developed understandings in personal con-
facts.
He did not bring off the long desired
meeting until November, 1913 The war was
the architect of the coalition but the President
was chiefly responsible for bringing the war
leaders together. He saw himself as the con-
ciliator, the middleman among the three. He
is credited as being the author OF the Yalta
"voting formula and with proposing the com
promise seemed possibly between Russian and
Anglo American views He came back from
the second meeting, also engineered by him.
satisfied that the conference method was work
ing Later developments Swallowed his salts
faction, but at first he told his friends with
obvious pleasure that the atmosphere at Yalta
was so much friendlier and more open than
that of Teheran that all that was needed to
iron out remaining and future snarls W
more meetings.
There is no way of knowing Stains feel
ing for Roosevelt except from the reports
brought back from Yalta that he treated him
with special Difference and responded to most
of the Presidents proposals with the WORDS:
II assent The extraordinary official honors
and warm, popular tributes In MOSCOW are
also significant. Such manifestations OF al
lection for a foreign statesman are wlthoIt
precedent in the Soviet Union; they prove not
only Roosevelt's power to impress his person
ality on people everywhere but the effect OF
the war alliance on Russias attitude to the
outside world.
Undoubtedly Roosevelt's death is profound
shock to Stain as well as to Churchlll. II
changes the picture and upsets the personal
if not the power balance OF the Big Ihree'
Speaking always in the personal sense, the
President was the fusing force in the COM
bination He was the one, moreover, VINO was
pushing hardest to enlarge the circle Partly
because he sensed the anxiety OF the smaller
powers, partly because he felt this country
might never be so united again in support
of collective security system, he wanted a
full meeting of the United Nations at once.
What will be the effect of Roosevelt's death
on the Big Three? This question is implicit IN
the wise initiative of Mr.. Truman In asking
the Soviet Government to send Mr.. Molototf
to San Francisco and Stains prompt deci-'
sion to reverse his former refusal and &C
cede to the request. Obviously Moscow desires
to assess the possibly effects of the change in
leadership and establish contact with the new
President. The reversal is also a sign that
Russia is more interested than before in the
fate of the conference. 1t might even signify
that Stain counted on Roosevelt to carry 1t to
success and wishes to make up for the loss OF
the leader by adding all the weight and pres
tige possible to the meeting. Ii this should be
so, he is paying very high tribute to the
dead President. Or it may be that Roosevelt's
passing marks the end of that phase OF the
war and the welding of the coalition which
necessitated exclusive councils.-N. Y. Times.
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