The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-03-04
In The Nation
By ARTHUR KROCK
In the New York Times

personal report to Congress thursday on the
proceedings at Yalta, and notably the fact
that he made it so promptly and in such good
temper, visibly and favorably impressed his
auditors at the joint session. This was evident
in their faces, in the volume and placement
of their applause and in their public COM
ment that followed. Mr.. Roosevelt not only
acknowledged Congress as his full partner in
government; he also asserted the Senate's
prerogative as to treaties and the special
rights Of the House.
Asks Congress To Concur
Emphasizing this in the most effective way
| possible, the President asked Congress to
concur in the decisions reached at Yalta''
| (not specifying the form Of concurrence and
for the "active support of the national leg
islature in making these decisions effective.
In so doing he followed, in so far as our
pattern OF government permits, the course
Prime Minister Churchill took two days ago
in his speech to the Commons There was
much interest in whether he would merely
imply or openly seek this approval, for he
has never made a report Of this nature be-
fore. This interest, satisfied on the one point,
now turns to whether Congress - through
whatever means it may employ to express
concurrence-will give to the President vote
Of confidence as overwhelming as that Mr.
Churchill got from the Commons today.
For these and other reasons the Presidents
address and his personal and prompt appear.
ance made up a notable historical event. But
judging the speech from the news standpoint
the conclusion must be that once again the
Allied world has first heard the facts of an
international conference from the British
Prime Minister, and once again more of these
facts than in subsequent releases by Mr..
Roosevelt or any members of the United
States government. By his report two days
ago Mr.. Churchill continued to make the Brit
ish people the best-nformed as well as the
first-informed among the United Nations.
Later Opportunity
When the world security conference Of these
nations meets in April at San Francisco the
President will have the advantages of geo.
graphy and location as well as the privileges
of host. If the factor Of geography is in any
way responsible for the order Of the reports
on Yalta by Mr.. Churchill and Mr.. Roosevelt,
then the latter will for once be in a position
to make the first announcements Of import
ant news from San Francisco as well as the
first summary, at the end Of the conference,
of what has been agreed on. It remains
to be seen whether he will avail himself of
this and thus enable the American people to
hear the news when it is fresh from the lips
of their own President instead Of from Mr..
ChurchilPs. But, even in this event, it is not
probable that 4 speech by the head Of any
variably distinguishes the addresses Of the
Prime Minister.
Very close readers Of the newspapers, es-
pecially of the Yalta comnuniQue and the
speech in Commons Tuesday, heard little
from Mr.. Roosevelt that comes within the
category Of fresh news. He stressed and clari-
fled the fact that provision has been made
for daily exchange Of information" between
our armies and those OF Soviet Russia, and
90 ha ~ in
the air over Germany. He defined 'uncondi-
tional surrender with more detail than he
has defined it previously, and stressed that
this would not be followed by the "enslave-
ment' Of the German people. He frankly con-
ceded that the Polish settlement is a compro-
mise for which he feels no enthusiasm and
he made it very positive that the Polish cleo
tons are to be conducted by secret ballot.
Light News Quantity
But this correspondent was unable to find
any other passages or statements which can
be classified as news-that is, fresh informa-
tion-in any usual sense. So far as major
information is concerned, Mr.. Churchill had
another beat" as press jargon calls it,
over his American colleague. He cannot be
credited with one over Marshal Stain because
that potentate acknowledges no obligation to
acquaint his people Of decisions he has reach
ed for them. /
And there were several passages in the
speech to Congress which increased the dark
ness in which certain future arrangements
are concealed. The President spoke Of ''plants
and machinery and rolling stock and raw ma
terials". the Preparations in kind which
will be exacted Of Germany. But he made
no mention Of the enforced, imported German
labor which the Russians-and probably other
Alies-insist shall be part of those repara-
tons, seeming indeed to question the idea by
his pledge against "enslavement'' of the Ger
man people. It is said this war point of
disagreement at Yalta, but, while the Presi-
dents speech leaves that implication, it does
not say SO.
In Summary
Mr.. Roosevelt at another point declared
that the peace must not be peace written
by the large nations or the small nations:
that 1t must be the peace Of all. But NOM
ent later he seemed to assign responsibility
for solving the problems of peace to 1.-The
major powers Of the world exclusively. Some
attentive listeners may find conflict in those
statements
On the whole, therefore, the Presidents re-
port was not new, in some respects not clear,
but m impressive, important and cooperative
narrative.
is -v-
SO THEY SAY
This is. the toughest beach I have ever