Evening star., 1945-07-20
PorIey Held Devoid
Of Personality Sway
Truman Relies at All Times
on Advisers, Says Writer
BY David Laurence


BY David Laurence
They call 1t the Big Three Confer
ence because that's the name 1t was
given when the late President Roosevelt,
Marshal Stain and Prime Minister
Churchill used TO meet together to out
line global strategy. But it's far
different conference today. 1t Is more
conference of three governments at
Potsdam than of three personalities.
This is because President Truman be-
lieyes these international meetings
should not be personal affairs. He
agrees that much can be done by con-
versation in person that could not be
done by letter or telegram or telephone,
but he does not like to rely on any
three-man agreements as such. He has
at his elbow at all times advisers from
the large delegation that accompanied
him to Europe.
Mr.. Truman's way is good because it
enables more persons to know of the
conversations and enables the Presi-
dent each night to get advice from those
who listened as he did to the requests
or suggestions or ideas Of the other
conferees. Without in the slightest de-
gree disparaging Mr.. Rooseyelt's method.
it may be said that he relied a great
deal on personality and amiability.
Business Of Nation.
This can be of tremendous help In
keeping conferences on q plane of
friendship and cordiality, but bargain
ing and trading Is too often a business
which is necessarily impersonal because
the money or property or decisions in
volved are not those of the individual
but of a nation.
The three leaders, therefore, meet
really not as personal conferees on pri-
vate business, but as trustees OF public
business of the utmost Importance.
Hence preparedness for such meetings
is of prime Importance. It Is a sad fact
that some of the Americans who at
tended conferences at Casablanca, Cairo,
Teheran and Yalta felt that the Presi-
dent did not insist on enough prepara-
ton beforehand and did not take with
him more men who could assist him,
whereas there were always compH-
mentary comments on how well the
British prepared and documented their
case whether 1t was for an economic or
political objective.
The controversy which Is going on as
to the secrecy of the Big Three meeting
is by no means unprecedented. The
press complained at Paris In 1919 that
the Big Four-wilson, Clemenceau,
Lloyd George and Orlando-maintained
secrecy. But the news did leak out
because certain members of the French
press, for instance. had access to records
of the minutes made at the Foreign
Once. where many of the conferences
were held. President Wilson felt this
was breach of the secrecy agreement,
but he was unable to do anything
about it.
Reasons for Secrecy.
The secrecy imposed at Potsdam,
where reporters are actually excluded
from the zone where the conference is
being held. is justifiable only on the
theory that provision for such a large
press as attended the San Francisco
Conference or even the Paris Confer
ence is not practicable. But there is 10
reason why some one cannot be author
lied each day or every few days to act
as spokesman for each of the three
governments.
There is some reason for believing
that the Soviet authorities would prefer
to have no announcements made till
the end of the conference because they
have way of controlling what is printed
In their own press, and If the British
and American papers were given piece
meal announcements the Russians
might feel compelled to do likewise.
The Russians, moreover, do not consider
any decisions to be final until all ques-
tions are disposed of and naturally
would prefer to await the ending of a
conference.
No harm is done by waiting till the
conference has adjourned. But once
the meeting is over. there should be a
complete report of what has happened
and the Congress and the American
people should be given the facts and
background. For it can remain secret
conference only insofar as military
subjects relating to the Far East are
concerned. Otherwise the public Is en-
titled to a fun report of what their rep
resentatives have agreed on and what
subjects have been deferred for future
conferences.
Reproduction RiEhts ReservedB