Evening star., 1945-10-21
Failure of London Parley
Placing Peace in Jeopardy
Need for Big Three Agreement Apparent, but Give.
and.Take Attitude Is Essential Before Com.
plete Accord Can Be Reached
By Constantine Bro,cn

much greater setback" than openly
admitted. Although Secretary of State
Byrnes, in his talk to the American peo-
pie, gave good summary of what hap
pened, some Senators who listened to
him at an executive session of the Sen
ate Foreign Relations Committee feel
that he barely scratched the surface.
The failure of the conference was
tragic not so much because the repre-
yentatives of the Big Five powers were
not able to get together on some major
issues, but because the whole structure
of peace appears to be in jeopardy.
Many observers In the United States
who look at the situation perfunctorily
say that we must do our utmost to get
along with Russia. Unquestionably this
is trut A close collaboration among the
mai5r nations which have emerged
florn the war as strong military powers
is essential to peace. 1t is inconceivable
that even temporary peace organiza-
ton has any chance to survive if Rus
sia is not included.
But political collaboration is much
like marriage between individuals who
are not adequately matched. Such a
matrimonial adventure can become dur
able only if both parties have sufficient
forbearance and intelligence to make
concessions to each other. AS in mar
riage, any political cooperation must
be based on a certain amount of give
and take. In spite of the many mistakes
the American and British diplomats
and political men made before and dur
ing the war, there is no question that
in regard to Russia they have been on
the givifg side. We have gone a long
way in the line of concession in order
to obtain Russia's cooperation in a
new world of peace"
Pampered by Others.
Because of the Importance of the
Russian armies, which bore the brunt
of the Nazi attacks for more than two
years, the Moscow government was
pampered by the Western Allies. Its
requests in the matters of lease-lend
strategy and territorial aggrandizement
for the Soviets were accepted by Amer
lea and Britain with an alacrity which
sometimes gave the Russians the i'm
preston of Servility
Members OF the United Nations which
fought valiantly on our side even after
their national territories had been in
vaded-as is the case of the Poles and
the Yugoslavs-have been sacrificed to
Moscow's thirst for greater Russia with
safe boundaries" In the development
of modern strategy and tactics, it is
automatic that the security of a nation
depends on how far its boundaries are
extended. Only by an absolute control
OF vast territories outside its national
frontiers can nation now be relatively
safe from surprise attacks.
And in dealing With the new map of
the world the American and British gov
ernments have been thinking principally
In terms Of political expediency. Russia
has been acting realistically. She was
determined to form a belt around her
national borders which would absorb the
shock and the destruction of an even
tual first wave of attacks from enemy
centers within the country were still
immune. This explains, in part at least,
her unyielding attitude on Poland.
Czechoslovakia and the Danubian
states.
Concessions Increase Demands.
But this geopolitical doctrine was
further enhanced. The more the United
States and Britain made concessions,
which were contrary to the very prin-
clple OF international fairness for which
We fought, the more the huge appetite
of the Russian leaders was increased.
The geopolitical consideration which
compelled the U. S. S. r. to demand the
exclusive control over Europe from Stet-
tin to Trieste increased in proportion to
our Weddings. At London the Soviet
delegation demanded that Russia's naval
and air bases be extended to the Red
Sea and to North Africa, to say nothing
of the control of the Dardanelles the
Bosphorus and some of the Aegaen is
lands which guard the entrance into the
Dardanelles.
by the British and the Americans.
Secretary Byrnes and his British COL
league, Foreign Minister Bevin, are now
considering what the next step should
be. They have come to the somewhat
negative conclusion to let sleeping dogs
lie and believe that if a sufficient time
is permitted to elapse between the
stormy sessions at the Lancaster House
In London and the next meeting of the
Big Five, the chances of getting together
might be brighter.
Privileges for Officers.
An item which did not receive great
deal of publicity in this country appears,
however, to be worrying the American
and British policy-framers. About four
weeks ago Moscow officially reported
that the officers corps of the Red Army
was being reorganized and given some
special privileges, such as tax-free in
comes, special officers clubs closed to
the enlisted men and noncoms; special
food rations and other privileges which
even the top workers in the u S. S. r.
never possessed. To the average man in
America this was interesting news but
far less important than the World Sc
ries victory of the Tigers over the Cubs.
The Russian Army-which was once
called the army of the proletariat-
undergone some drastic changes. At one
time the officers and the men were
equals and salute was forbidden. Later,
as Russia began to prepare herself for
war, military ranks were re-established
But simplicity in habit and garb was the
order OF the day. An ordinary uniform
was worn by both officers and men with