Evening star., 1945-05-27

tIle OHlIed StateS are not Wiling to
tight shooting war" for the sake Of
the small European countries. But this
does not mean that the American Gov.
ernment intends to recognize accom-
plished facts" supported by the force
OF millions of bayonets. President Tru-
mans adamant attitude in regard to
the establishment of a Polish govern
ment is indicative of his policies.
He spoke frankly and bluntly to For
eign Commissar Molotov on this matter.
The Presidents associates maintain
he will not change his tune. It may be
that from the strictly practical point of
view this may not help Poland imme-
diately. But there is no doubt that the
Moscow government feels slightly un-
comfortable at the thought that the
United States will have a policy of nom
recognition of territories acquired by
force or obtained without the freely
expressed wishes of the people con-
cerned.
Truman's Task Difficult.
President Truman has assumed the
highest Office in this country without any
special preparation on foreign affairs.
In fact, as a Senator and during the few
months he held the position of Vice
President, he paid little attention to the
international puzzle He was aware that
the international waters were very mud
dy, but he had no conception of their
true state until he was compelled to as
sumo the responsibility for their ham
ding. His job is compared by some Of
his intimates with that of the surgeon
who opens up a patient for simple ap-
pendectomy and discovers variety OF
ailments. including cancerous growths.
Under these difficult circumstances,
take definite straight line which might
be summed up as follows:
This country has and always will de-
vote all its energies to the cause of peace.
This country is strong and rich enough
to afford peace. International relations
must have a solid foundation in the
respect of treaties reached by common
agreement. Hence, Mr.. Truman is said
to be determined not to waver from the
policy whereby signed agreements must
be respected by all concerned. We are
not willing to take up arms and fight the
nations which do not respect them. But
neither will the American Government
become party to any double-talk or
shut its eyes when other nations decide
to disregard them There are other
means than tanks and airplanes which
eventually will come into play to deal
with treaty breakers
Wants Agreements Kept.
There have been reports in Washing
ton that the administration has tough
ened up" on Russia. This is not literally
true.
There is as strong desire to continue
policy of collaboration with the U. S.
S. R. in the postwar period as there was
during the war But the American Gov
ernment insists that the Moscow govern
ment live up to its agreements and OBJ
serve them as scrupulously as this coun-
try has.
Many of the Presidents advisers are
not particularly impressed by Premier
Stalin's claims that because Russia has
lost some $4,000 900 soldiers in the field
she now has the right to demand vast
territorial "readjustments. All the Al
lies have fought the Germans with equal
determination. If the Russians have lost
that enormous number of soldiers the
reason is that the Red high command
often has been extravagant with human
lives. Their soldiers, for instance, are
not always protected by steel helmets
and on many occasions the world-re-
nowned Russian cavalrymen were sent to
attack the enemy, who waited in tanks
behind strongly fortified positions. The
Russians were victors, but the price was
terrific.
The usual Soviet attack formation Is
described as follows: First come the
tanks; behind them the infantry, fully
armed with the most modern weapons; ;
then the armored cars, jeeps, ETC., and
finally, in the last rows, another in
fantry formation with its belts gar
nished with ammunition but no rifles or
machine guns. These are picked up later
from the men who have fallen in battle.
Artillery preparation is generally excel
lent and satisfactory But when the
staff has decided that certain objec-
tive must be taken on certain date
and certain hour the tanks and foot
troops are sent into action, regardless
of whether the enemy positions have
been preached by the artillery fire.
Sympathy for Losses.
1t is only natural that under such
circumstances the casualties of the Red
Army are usually much higher than
those of the American or British Armies.
The high percentage of lives lost by a
warning nation entities her to full SYM
pathy but does not justify, in the minds
of the American generals and political
men, territorial compensations in dis
regard of agreed principles and treaties.
President Truman is said to be as
sympathetic to the plight of Russia as
was President Roosevelt. But there can
be no justification because of the suffer-
ing that country has undergone, for
adopting unilateral policy completely
different from the policies Of the other
members of the United Nations. The
so-called "toughness" of President Tru-
man toward our Russian ally is, in fact
only determination to remain un-
yielding to the claims Russia's leaders
are making to annex new territories
indirectly.
There is nothing concrete that can
be done to save the small nations at