Evening star., 1945-04-26
Trumon Set Stage
For PorIey's Success
Put Russian Relations on Basis
of Mutual Trust, Says Writer
Bv David Laurence

~ DGvfd Laurence
SAN FRANCISCO, Calf, April 26.-
President Truman did more than make
an address Of welcome-he actually set
the stage for successful conference by
a frank talk in Washington with For
eign Commissar Molotov which may
have more to do with the course of
coming events than anything which has
happened since the Yalta Conference.
Mr.. Truman, supported by advice from
his colleagues in our Government here
and abroad, decided that the time had
come to put the relations between Rus
sia and the United States on = basis Of
mutual trust and confidence so that
inter-Allied unity would not be sub
jected to the strain recently imposed
by the tendency of Moscow to do things
by itself in Poland, Bulgaria, Romania
and elsewhere in her zone of influence.
There is some suggestion that even
military cooperation has been subject
to some misunderstanding and that the
old bogey of suspicion, which has i'm
paired relations between Russia and the
western democracies, has been raised
once more.
Basis for Divergence.
To no small extent, of course, the
dying Nazi propagandists have doubt
less been trying to find ways and means
Of driving wedge between the Russians
and the western Allies, but unfortu-
nately the basis for apparent divergence
has been furnished by the action Of
Russia herself.
So it seemed, on the eve Of the United
Nations Conference, advisable to clear
things up. All the American officials
abroad who are conversant with Euro
pean affairs, as we'll as high officials
here, were of one mind-namely, that
something bigger than the Polish ques-
ton had arisen, something that had to
be tackled forthrightly and promptly.
The problem is whether the United
States, Great Britain and Russia are
to furnish money and materials to each
other on the assumption that this Is
an inter-Allied enterprise in the eco
nomic and military field only to find
that no such conception of unity OBJ
tains in the so-called political or policy
field
1t will be recalled that certain specific
pledges were made at the Yalta Con-
ference and all that the United States
is insisting on is that these agreements
be fulfilled. This writer called attention
after the Yalta Conference to the fact
that Russia at the Teheran Conference
Of 1943 had promised to take up matters
growing out of the liberated areas on
an inter-Allied rather than a unilateral
basis and expressed the fear that Russia
might 90 her way alone again.
Opinion in America.
The preponderant opinion in Amer
ica, on the other hand, was that Russia
had made various concessions to the
United States, and the Yalta pact was
hailed as q notable achievement In
unity. Unfortunately, the Russians de-
rived the idea that the United States
would not be seriously disturbed about
future steps taken on a unilateral basis
But the Russians have now been given
new picture Of American opinion and
Of the Ill effects that might now from
a continuance of one-sided action.
1t wasn't, therefore, any one thing
but several things which combined to
influence President Truman to deal di-
rectly with the heart OF the whole In
ternational situation-the relations OF
the western Allies to Russia. II those
relations could be put on an intimate
basis of close collaboration, every major
obstacle could be surmounted and not
only would new charter for the United
Nations be written but better asso-
citation achieved between the larger
powers whose voice in the council Is to
be so powerful.
What view will Marshal Stain take
after he reads Mr.. Molotov's reports?
There is every reason to believe the
Russian chieftain will find that genu-
inc partnership in the policy field Is
the only way to insure the same kind
Of partnership in matters of lease-lend
and reparations and In settling the
thousand and one vexing problems that
inevitably must arise in handling occu-
pied Germany.
Mr.. Trumans first venture in diplo-
macy has been bold but it was re-
quired by the trend of recent events,
and when the whole story Is unfolded
there will be a sense Of pride in the
Presidents earnestness and simplicity
in handling perhaps the biggest problem
of this fateful year.
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