Evening star., 1945-02-04

ny LOnSfG
In future years history will record
The 1945 conference Of the big Three"
rs the most momentous OF our day and
age. It is at this conference President
Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill
and Premier Stain will deal with the
realities OF war; that is to say, they will
attempt to draft program to solve
the political and economic problems
which will arise after the collapse Of
Hitler's regime.
At the. Teheran meeting little more
than year ago, the military aspects
Of the war occupied the major attention
Of the American, British and Soviet
leaders.
Mr. Roosevelt examined In a perfume
tory manner important political mat
ters concerning Yugoslavia, Poland, Fin
land and the Balkan states The mill
tary aspects of the conflict occupied
his chief attention; the President felt
that 1t was needless to discuss the fu-
ture of the smaller members of the
United Nations unless the Russians
stayed with us in the war 100 per cent.
Thus the political matters raised by
the Soviet Premier we're initiated as
token of the friendship and good faith
by the Anglo-Saxons. The Moscow
agreement signed few weeks earlier by
the foreign secretaries Of the three ma
tions was described as taking temporary
care of the various political problems
which were bound to crop up during the
war against the Nazis. According to
our own Secretary of State Hull, the
Anal solutions were to be decided after
the fighting was over.
Want Justice for All.
Neither Mr. Roosevelt nor Mr.. Church.
Ill considered 1t worthwhile to enter
into an argument with the Russian
leader at Teheran on the smaller states
Of Europe while the German military
was still strong. The slightest
faux pas" the American and British
leaders felt, might jeopardize our VIC
tory.
There can be no doubt as to the
wishes of the American people. They
want a world at peace with justice for
all nations, big and small, and adequate
punishment of the aggressors. Most
Of the people in this country desire to
reform the Germans by Furnishing not
only those who directly caused the pres
ent war but all those who have had
some share in the government of Ger
many since 1888 when Hitler assumed
power. After this is done they desire to
see strict control Of Germany so that
there shall be no repetition of the stu
alton between 1920 and 1899. And this,
they believe, can be brought about by a
total demilitarization Of the Reich.
The American people want to have
good and friendly relations with all
other nations and desire that the free
dom and sovereignty of nations which
happen to Be IN the path Of any great
power shall not be sacrificed. The
articles Of the Atlantic Charter, if ade-
quately and honestly applied, should be
q SUFFICIENT safeguard for all.
President Roosevelt, who is taking to
the conference large staff of technical
advisers-military. naval and air ex-
perts, economic advisers and diplomats
with all angles of the world
problems-unquestionably is aware of
the desires of the people who have
placed him in the White House for the
fourth time. But his task is not an en-
viable one. He is faced with two part
ners who are far less interested in the
application of ideals such as the Ameri-
can people have than in securing an
position for their own en-
pires.
Charter Serves as Guide.
1t Is for this reason that Prime Min
lister Churchill several months ago
stated that the Atlantic Charter was
q Sign post" and the Kremlin, while
accepting the principles of the
charter, has interpreted it as having
no retroactive effect. That is to say,
certain conditions which existed before
Russia signed the charter in January,
1912, could not be affected by it. Aware
of>this feeling among his principal as
sociates, Mr.. Roosevelt himself has de-
clared that we cannot expect perfec-
ton at the end of the war and that the
charter is intended to serve only as a
general guide to the peacemakers after
the fighting is over.
Those who have been following the
political developments of the last IL
months from behind the scenes are fully
aware that Britain today is concerned
principally with safeguarding her long
lines of communication with the empire
Ito say nothing of the determination to
maintain her empire along prewar lines,
while Russia Is concerned with poll
tical expansion which would strengthen
her position as the most powerful
country in Europe after the war Is over.
Necessarily, In order to achieve this
purpose, there must be certain amount
of give and take, at the expense Of the
little fellows" between the two empires
and consequently there Is little room
for an honest and sincere Application
of the Atlantic Charter even as a
"Stgnpost."
We have already witnessed the trend,
at Teheran. when Premier Stain and
Prime. Minister Churchill agreed that
Britain would BE given the Adriatic
and the Eastern Mediterranean as her
zone Of influence. Although nothing
has been said ofl1cially about this IDEAL, 7
subsequent developments have proved
that such IN agreement existed. Within
: few weeks after Teheran, Gen. Draja
Mihailovich. the standard -bearer OF the
Allies in Serbia, was discarded. He was
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