Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-07

resented at the conference. There
is no other even family plausible
suggestion by which protracted or
permanent peace can be achieved.
This conference, the only instru-
ment through which peace is pos
sible, must succeed. There is no
alternative and any other result as
sumes. an unbelievable degree of
stupid perversity. This is not dis
puted.
Therefore, 1t Is easy to under
stand why none of the differences
at San Francisco seriously threaten
the result. None is of kind that
cannot be adjusted without dam
aging the dignity of the disputants
or enfeebling the final product. In
brief, there is nothing to fear as
to the outcome so long as good will
prevails among the sponsoring
powers and the main objective is
never lost sight of.
Languages Big Trouble.
Considering the situation, it Is
hard to escape the feeling that the
blk tlouDlC at Vic SOll1C1 CllSC ID
linguistic. Particularly is the in
ability to understand the other
party's language bar between Brit
ish and Americans on one side and
Russians on the other. Mr.. Stetti-
Mus and Mr. Eden speak no word
of Russian; Mr.. Molotov knows very
little English.
Regardless of the skill of the in
terpreterS, this is almost like a wall
between Notwithstanding heads and
Russian-speaking heads. The same
Is true all down the line 1t robs
communications of all fieXibility. 1t
formalizes exchanges. 1t prohibits
subtleties and real condolences. 1t
adds vastly to the difficulties of in
ternalional cooperation.
In this respect, San Francisco is
not different from other confer
ences except that it is on a larger
scale. There was the same trouble
at Tehran and again at Yalta. After
those, a good deal of nonsense was
written of how the late President
Roosevelt personally charmed Mar
shall Stain and of what close per-
sona1 friends they had become This
was bunk. You cannot become great
personal FRIENDS with a man to
whom you must talk through a third
party and who must reply through
third party, and whose conversa-
ton otherwise is as unintelligible to
you as yours is to him. Love cannot
be made under such circumstances;
nor charm applied.
An example Of what happens was
given not long ago by one reliable
observer present at both Stalin-
Roosevelt - Churchill conferences.
Mr.. Roosevelt, sitting next to Mr..
Stain, told the marshal one of his
favorite stories with flourishes of
the cigarette holder, great anima-
ton of countenance and concluding
in shout of laughter at his own
joke.
Marshal Stain joined heartily in
the presidential laughter though he
had not understood a word. Then
he turned to his interpreter, who
translated the Roosevelt story. The
marshal did not laugh at all. He
did not even smile His face was
perfectly blank Either he just did
not think it funny-or he missed the
point.
Denatured Conversation.
It also should be remembered
that there is not one interpreter but
always two. Obviously, there could
not be just one. No matter how
great his integrity, that would be
far too great power to give any in
dividual. One interpreter could put
the white lead into the coffee cups
Of both sides. So, always there has
to. be another interpreter, each
checking on the other.
Naturally, this makes each inter-
prefer extremely careful not to in
terpret too freely nor too colorfully,
lest his colleague say to him wait
minute" or hold on" or that is
not quite right" etc. This tends to
denature the conversation, eliminate
all humor, irony, color, subtlety,
emphasis and infection.
1t tends to reduce conversation to
cold, drab and very simple terms.
1t nullifles individual charm, robS
personal contact of its pleasures
and helps conceal rather than re-
veal. 1t also adds greatly to the
tedium of comforting. Under such
circumstances, it is not a wonder
there should be MISUNDERSTANDING
and suspicious. The wonder is there
should be so few and that these not
be of vital Importance.
If, rs seems sure, the conference
outcome is generally satisfactory, it
will be notable achievement and
justify optimism. 1t might also be
noted that so far as American lead
ership is concerned, the linguistic
difficulties have not been lessened
by the journalistic heckling to