Evening star., 1945-10-07


of Foreign Ministers which proved that
an almost insuperable gulf divided the
Russians from the other great powers
1t is admitted freely-although not yet
publicly-that unless there is a definite
change of heart in Moscow, the United
Nations Organization may die at birth.
The obstacles which were placed in
the path of the conferees in London
have demonstrated that fundamental
differences exist between Russia and the
representatives of the great Western
powers, to which China has willingly
Joined herself.
Those who have had the opportunity
Of following the day to-day develop
ments of the conference say that the
details of the treaty with Italy, or of the
question of the governments in the Dam
ubian Valley, or even the matter Of trus-
teeship in the Eastern Mediterranean
and Africa were relatively minor mat
tiers which could have been settled had
there been meeting of the Big Five
minds.
demonstrated two things; he impressed
his colleagues with Russia's desire to
expand much farther than had been an
ticipated at the three wartime confer
ences-Teheran, Yalta and Potsdam-
and reiterated in a different form, Pre-
mier Stains thesis strongly emphasized
at Yalta and repeated at San Francisco
that the world should be directed by
only three powers, America, Russia and
Britain.
Raises Difficult Problem.
Mr.. Molotov exhibited definite oppo-
sition to including France and China in
any of the conversations regarding the
peace of the world in areas where these
two nations do not have an active terri
torial interest. This attitude in itself
proved to the other delegates what for
midable problems the Allies will meet
when the United Nations Organization
is brought into being. France and
China, in accordance with the terms of
the San Francisco Charter, are perma-
nent members of the Security Council
and as such have global interest in the
future world organization in which they
have the veto power,
The Russian leaders are intoxicated
with victory and have propagandized the
world and their own people SO much
that the leaders themselves now believe
what once was considered a propaganda
stunt intended for home consumption
that is, that Russia won the war against
the Nazis practically single-handedly.
Since the Napoleonic wars, the Rus
sian armies have seldom had the oppor-
tunity of boasting of any victory of arms.
Even In the wars against Turkey in the
last century the Russian armies scored
victories because of the venality of the
Turkish Pashas rather than by the skill
and strategy of their military COM
maEders.
The defeat of the Nazis on the Eastern
front was the first real success of the
armies of the Red republic which was
organized after the revolution.
Hence, it is not surprising that the
leaders of the Soviet people have become
cony inced that Russia is now the fore
most power in the world.
Demonstrated in Many Ways.
This has been demonstrated in many
ways in the various areas which the
Red Army is occupying with her Allies.
Only few details seep through the
strong censorship established in Europe
concerning what is going on in the Rus
Sian-ocupied areas. Little information
Is cleaned in this country about the
difficulties, and at times the humilia-
tions, the American Government &C
cepts from the Russians. To bring these
to light would create an atmosphere in
this country which would not be con-
ducive to the international cooperation
which our leaders consider essential in
order to avoid another war even more
gigantic than the one just concluded.
At no time in the history of this
country has so much been concealed
from the public eye. President Wilson's
principle OF open covenants, openly ar
rived at" has been thrown overheard
throughout World War II. The admin
istration has taken it upon itself to be
the sole keeper of all the diplomatic
agreements reached with other powers.
Only through occasional "leaks," long
after the agreements have been decided
on, do the people of this country obtain
vague indication of what might have
gone on behind the shroud of secrecy
which has characterized the interna-
tional gatherings.
When the five powers met to discuss
the basic principles of the United Ma
tionS Organization at Dumbarton Oaks
in Washington in the fall of 1914, the
building in which the delegates gath
cred was protected by chain of mill
tary policemen with fixed bayonets to
prevent any newspaper intruder from
obtaining more than the meager in
formation offered by the official in
charge Of the press. Later, last Febru-
ary, after Edward Stettinius became
Secretary of State, he admitted at an
off-the-record meeting with a numbe,
OF newspaper representatives that this
step was taken at the request of the
Soviet delegation. Had he insisted or
giving more freedom to the American
reporters. Mr.. Stettinius said, "the Rus.
SLAMS would have threatened to walk
out on u.s."
And this secrecy of diplomatic nego.
tiatlons continued through the Other
conferences and was particularly stric,
at those attended by the heads of the
Big Three powers. The American ano
the British governments agreed to &C.
cept the secrecy and refused to let the
people know the real facts which were
discussed and agreed on because they