Detroit evening times., 1945-02-23
BEHIND
THE NEWS
BY Paul
MaIIon

standing indicate the Russian
position has been accepted on
most issues as the working
basis for postwar.
The bulk Of senators and rep
reSentatlves have reached this
private conclusion, excepting ot
course the new presiding vice
president, Mr.. Truman, who
thinks Nj. Roosevelt won prac-
tically everything. He Is apt -
be blt partisan IN the matter.
The general run Of Congress
ls noting that headquarters for
reparatlol.s are 10 be IN Mos
COW the Curzon Line was ac-
cepted, as well as the basic
Luhhn government for Poland
and the Tito dominating regime
IN Yugoslavla, and most inpor-
tant--the voting setup Of the
United Nations TO handle future
war makers
The particular visible point
that Mr.. Roosevelt won was
prescription for free and secret
elections eventually IN the many
small European nations tAtlan-
TIC Charter, ard the yet lnvls-
lhle promise Of Russian war
against our eneny-Japan.
TIVE limited evidence on the
4 confere nee thus clearly
shows Messrs. Roosevelt and
Churchill gave on the political
issues n order 10 get any agree
rent az all Russia clearly was
not eager and they preserved
their democratic ideals at least
IN the language of the under
standing.
You would not be able 10
guess y from the public reac-
ton here, but Congress does
not like this. Furthermore, con-
Trajectory as II may sound,
Congress, or the Senate, Will
probably approve the settle
mert.
Such a momentum for some
kind of q peace agreement
any kind Of A peace agreement
in fact-has been built I'D that
nearly any KIND can be ap-
proved
NIichtgans Senator Vanden-
berg, for 4 good example ls-
sued half-pleased comment,
pointing out he had won his
point that the immediate post
war governments IN these
countries would he subject 10
later electoral review.
Ohlos Senator Burton, back
from Europe, says the soldiers
want q peace agreement and are
not PARTICULARS 10 what II Is.
DEOPLE at large do not pay
Il much attention 70 details Of
these international commit
r7ents N fact do not attempt
"a understand them fully
Every one here seems TO fgure
Mr.. Roosevelt was reelected
last November because he
claimed ard vas thought 10 be
more competent than Dewey 20
handle Stain ard Churchill N
international negotlatlons-an
indispensable man for that task,
in fact.
There IS rot much Inclina-
ton 70 look askance az what
he got out OF IL especially with
part Of y not made public OPP
position thus far has Just about
been limited to Senator
/ Wheeler
Even If the unpublished part
Of the agreement IS as forecast,
such fatahsm has taken hold
here that any heavy struggling
Is discouraged.
Nearly every one thus IS try
ing 10 cast the best possible
light on the achievement TO the
disregard Of It's nature II Is be-
ing said that Russia was IN con-
troll of Europe anyway and
therefore, If we got anything, It
IS all 70 the good
If effective action to prevent
war making by any Of the big
five proves impossible under the
settlement. well, then, We can at
least ourselves veto expressions
by other nations IN Latin Amer
Ica.
If THE prospect that free
i elections IN Europe V7ll not
include democratic freedom Of
the press and speech IN z pre-
paratory campaign by all par
ties. but may be controlled by
pressure Of the dominant ele-
rents then there have been
some happy If vague, reports
that the Europeans are so sick
of totalltarlanlsm, they may
electorally turn against the
dominant Communist regimes IN
Poland YugoSlaVa. etc.
II the Poles lose well the
Poles are split anyway tand IN
cIdertaliy Their protests we're
surprisingly MIDI.
II Russia, directing repars-
tons. Is apt 10 take slave labor
out Of Germany that Is not so
far from the Morgenthsu plan
of industrial seizure, which Mr..
Roosevelt never disavoWed.
This IS a contradiction because
Germany would have 10 keep
her industries IN order 10 pay
the kind Of reparahons Russia
wall eXact)
That IS Vhat you Will hear
here-a fatahstic determination
10 accept everything IN the best
possible light, with fingers